Newmarket may take on larger sidewalk snowclearing job

YorkRegion.com
April 6, 2015
Chris Simon

More Newmarket sidewalks, walkways and paved trails could get plowed if a plan currently under review by council is approved.

A proposal to expand snow-clearing efforts in town will be debated during 2015 draft budget deliberations. Under the plan, the town would boost its municipal sidewalk snow-clearing program by about $300,000 per year and give priority to school zones, Main Street, York Region-maintained roads and primary transit locations.

“Snow removal is a safety issue,” Councillor Dave Kerwin said. “Many people leave Canada as snowbirds and they don’t leave anyone behind to remove the snow from the sidewalk. It becomes very difficult to enforce. This is a priority for residents.”

Councillor John Taylor says he will not support the project if it leads to a significant tax increase.

“Council endorsed a target, a clear expectation we’d bring in a budget in or around the cost of living,” he said. “We all hear from people who are struggling with their own financial problems.”

It appears the project will likely be phased in as part of a multi-year approach.

Once these (priority) routes are found to be in good condition, snow clearing will begin for all remaining sidewalks in town, public works services senior manager Mark Agnoletto said in a report to council. "This is similar to the approach used on our roadways with primaries being cleared first and then services being extended to all other streets."

The town has nearly 340 kilometres of sidewalks, walkways and trails, but only about 220 of that is cleared by municipal workers. Unplowed sidewalks are typically maintained by nearby property owners, however, clearing can be erratic, he said.

"Condition is generally considered the town's responsibility," Agnoletto said. "The ability to clear all sidewalks ensures the town can maintain and control a standard level of service. Often, sidewalks are cleared by property owners, but the quality and timing of the service is inconsistent."

Sidewalk plowing has been an issue for residents for years. In 2010 and 2014, community surveys, residents ranked clearing satisfaction at 51 and 43 per cent, respectively. And most winter sidewalk complaints focus on the slow clearance of snow around schools, regional roads and places frequented by seniors.

"While our current guidelines indicate that sidewalks around schools are completed, those do not give priority to their sequence of clearing," Agnoletto said. "The result is some local roads or curb-faced sidewalks are being done prior to a school or transit location. This also creates situations where a sidewalk fronting a school may be done after school has concluded for the day, as it may be at the end of a route. Current practices for snow clearing focus on efficiency of routes … and do not identify areas that may warrant higher levels of service."