Residents Ask: Will Sidewalks Be Cleared This Year?
Richmond Hill and the surrounding areas woke up to a surprise blast of winter yesterday as snow and freezing temperatures arrived earlier than expected. Many residents were caught off guard by the sudden change, marking what could be the start of a snowy November. More snow is forecasted in the coming days, sparking memories of last year’s massive February snowfall that buried sidewalks for days while streets were quickly cleared.
That experience has left many Richmond Hill residents asking a familiar question: Will the City give sidewalks the same priority as roads this year, or will pedestrians once again be treated like second-class citizens?
According to the City of Richmond Hill, winter maintenance crews are responsible for keeping 1,100 lane kilometres of roads, 750 kilometres of sidewalks, and clearing snow windrows from over 50,000 residential driveways throughout the season. Plowing begins once more than 5 centimetres of snow has accumulated. The City’s service targets are:
Sidewalks: cleared within 14 hours after snowfall ends
Roads: cleared within 16 hours
Driveway windrows: within 13 hours
Cul-de-sacs and dead ends: within 24 hours
Primary roads and sidewalks are prioritized first, followed by secondary residential areas. The City also asks residents to wait at least 16 hours after snowfall stops before contacting Access Richmond Hill for service requests.
But while those standards sound reassuring on paper, many residents say the reality has been very different. Last winter, pedestrians and transit users reported that many sidewalks and bus stops remained impassable for days, forcing people to walk on icy streets or struggle to access public transit.
Toronto faced similar issues last winter but took public complaints seriously—launching an internal review and promising better coordination this season. In Richmond Hill, however, residents say there has been no acknowledgment or investigation into what went wrong last year.
“Pedestrians and transit users in Richmond Hill are not asking for special treatment,” said one frustrated resident. “We just want to be treated with the same urgency as drivers. Many of us work in essential services—the community depends on us too.”
With more snow expected this week, all eyes will be on City crews—and whether this winter, Richmond Hill can deliver on its promise to keep everyone moving safely.