• York Region operates 126 snowplows and seven brine trucks, maintaining more than 4,400 lane kilometres each winter.
  • Crews complete a full plowing cycle of 95 Regional routes in about two hours.
  • In Stouffville, plowing of local roads begins after five centimetres of snowfall.
  • The Town completes a full local road clearing cycle in approximately eight hours.
  • Brine applied to roadways before storms reduces salt use and its environmental impacts.
  • Stouffville’s overnight winter parking restrictions run from Dec. 1 to March 31, or whenever winter maintenance activities are underway, except over the holidays.

 

The GTA continues to experience one of its most significant early snowfalls, ushering in the winter maintenance season across York Region. The upper-tier municipality’s fleet includes 126 plow trucks and seven brine applicator trucks that cover more than 4,400 lane kilometres of Regional roads.

“These vehicles are equipped with advanced technology, including air and pavement temperature sensors and live weather radar to ensure timely and efficient snow clearing, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” York Region explains.

Operating within four districts, Regional crews plow a full cycle of 95 routes in roughly two hours. Weather monitoring stations across the area guide the process, and bus transit rapidway signals are wirelessly programmed to stay green for snowplows—helping to halve clearing times.

In Stouffville, arterial and collector roads are treated with salt or brine once snowfall begins. Local roads are sanded in high-risk areas such as hills and curves, and plowing starts when snow reaches five centimetres.

Brine is applied before a storm to prevent snow and ice from bonding to road surfaces. It reduces the overall amount of salt needed to keep streets safe, helping limit the environmental impacts of winter maintenance, as excessive road salt can raise chloride levels in nearby soil and waterways.

The Town’s snow-clearing priorities begin with high-use arterial roads like Main Street and Tenth Line, followed by collector routes then residential streets. After a storm, a full plowing cycle of Stouffville roads takes about eight hours.

Sidewalk clearing is also handled by Town crews in Stouffville, Ballantrae, and Gormley, typically within 24 hours of a snowfall. Property owners are reminded to keep fire hydrants clear of snow.

Through Stouffville’s Track My Plow service, residents can monitor local winter maintenance activities. The system displays the location of road, sidewalk, and windrow crews, and colour-coded routes show the last time a road was cleared.

As occurs each year, overnight parking is prohibited on all Town roads from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. between Dec. 1 and March 31, or whenever winter maintenance is in progress. Restrictions are temporarily lifted from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2 for the holiday season.

The Town’s windrow clearing program assists eligible seniors and residents with physical challenges by clearing the snowbanks left at the end of driveways. Using a specialized plow, crews aim to clear all registered windrows within 12 hours of street plowing.

As local governments look ahead to months of winter weather, York Region is reminding drivers to plan in advance and avoid any unnecessary travel during extreme weather. Motorists should equip their vehicles with winter tires, clear all snow and ice from their car before heading out, and keep a safe distance from snow-clearing equipment at all times.

“Plows are wider than most vehicles, and portions of the plow and blade may be obscured by blowing snow,” the Region advises in a recent news release. Snowplows should only be passed when a safe area is available, but never on the right, and drivers are asked to not travel alongside them when operations are underway.

“You may see them, but they may not see you if you are following too closely,” warns the Region. “Only pass snow removal vehicles when a safe passing area is available, and the lane is clear of snow or treated with salt or sand.”

 

Cover image provided by and used with permission from the Regional Municipality of York