EDITOR’S NOTE (Feb. 20, 2025): This story has been updated from its original version to reflect the City of Toronto’s language on offering snow clearing services, not snow removal.
Toronto residents struggling with the aftermath of back-to-back snowstorms can request snow clearing, specifically plowing, for windrows caused by plowed snowbanks at their home addresses, as well as public right of way areas that are impeded due to the high snowbanks, as city crews continue round-the-clock cleanup efforts.
The City of Toronto announced Tuesday that it is accepting 311 service requests for residential snow clearing, particularly for blocked driveways, sidewalks and walkways.
Requests can be submitted online through the City of Toronto’s website, or by calling 311.
To be eligible for snow removal, residents must reside in areas where the city provides sidewalk clearing, mainly Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough.
Requests can only be submitted once road plowing in the neighborhood is complete, and the snowbank blocking the driveway or sidewalk need be at least 25 cm high to qualify for the service.
Due to the heavy snowstorms, city officials warn that cleanup efforts could take up to three weeks.
Last time the city did snow removal on this scale was back in Jan. 2022, when more than 50 cm dropped in a single day. Now, the city has been hit with the same levels of snow over three major winter storms in one week.
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Over 450 dump trucks have been assigned to move snow from locations to one of five storage sites strategically placed throughout the region.
Crews are prioritizing hospitals, main streets, intersections, transit stops and school zones, before moving onto residential zones.
Toronto’s general manager for transportation services, Barbara Gray, says city staff are working to clear bikeways in the city as well.
City officials also reminded residents of the ongoing parking ban which remains in effect for street parking on roads with designated snow route signs.
Toronto’s general manager for transportation services, Barbara Gray, has warned people to not park in areas with streetcars, streetcar routes and snow removal routes.
“If you park on a snow route, you can be fined and your car can be towed,” she said recently.
City officials say approximately 2,300 tickets have already been issued to vehicles for violating the ban.
Residents who need snow removed from their properties are encouraged to submit a request online or call 311 but should expect delays as the city grapples with its large-scale cleanup efforts.
“I encourage people to travel with caution, and to give themselves some extra time. It will be sloppy out there for another few days,” Gray added.
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