WINDROWS, SIDEWALKS AND TENSE DRIVEWAYS: WINTER SNOW POLICY TESTS PATIENCE IN RICHMOND HILL
As another snowy season grinds on, residents of Richmond Hill are once again facing a familiar winter dilemma: the city’s snowplows clear neighbourhood streets, only to leave behind large ridges of snow — known as windrows — at the mouths of driveways and on sidewalks, leading to ongoing frustration for drivers, pedestrians and neighbours alike.
City’s Windrow Clearing Program Under the Spotlight
Richmond Hill’s official Winter Maintenance policy includes a snow windrow clearing program covering more than 50,000 local residential driveways. When road plows push accumulated snow to the curb, the city aims to return with windrow machines to open up at least one car width of the driveway within about 13 hours of the snowfall ending. Snow clearing generally begins once 5 cm or more has fallen, with crews working to finish sidewalks within 14 hours and roads within 16.
But the reality doesn’t always match the schedule.
Resident Frustration Over Timing and Coverage
Local homeowners have taken to community forums to vent about inconsistent service. Several reported that windrow machines skipped entire streets while neighbouring roads were cleared, leaving some driveways blocked long after streets were plowed.
Others complained that windrow clearing often arrives hours after the street plow, meaning drivers must shovel their own windrows just to get out for work or errands — a task many find exhausting or physically taxing.
“It’s maddening,” said one resident on a local forum. “I shovel my driveway before work, only to come home to another wall of snow that I now have to break through again.”
Some neighbours also say that operational timing — with windrow machines sometimes arriving well after plows — defeats the purpose of the service and suggests a lack of coordination between plowing crews.
Some residents also question whether the City’s practice of clearing snow windrows at the end of residential driveways is the best use of limited winter maintenance resources. They argue that this service amounts to another subsidy that primarily benefits drivers, while pedestrian infrastructure continues to lag behind. Under existing bylaws, homeowners are already required to clear the sidewalk in front of their property. Enforcing that requirement more consistently, they say, could significantly reduce the City’s snow-clearing costs and free up resources to ensure sidewalks, transit stops, and pedestrian routes are cleared promptly and safely.
Sidewalks Become the Unseen Battleground
While windrows grab most of the attention, sidewalk snow has become an underreported source of irritation — and safety concern.
Richmond Hill’s winter operations also maintain nearly 750 km of sidewalks, but unwieldy snow from both road plows and windrow machines often gathers along footpaths, forcing pedestrians to navigate narrow or ice-packed routes.
Under city bylaws, property owners are responsible for clearing adjacent sidewalks after a snowfall, typically within a set number of hours. Failing to comply can result in fines. But many residents argue that once the plow has pushed excess snow onto the path — especially where sidewalks abut driveways — even diligent homeowners struggle to make them truly walkable.
Parents with strollers, seniors using mobility aids, and transit users say the piled snow makes essential pedestrian routes hazardous at best and impassable at worst.
Policy Nuance: Opt-Out and Obligations
Richmond Hill offers residents the option to opt out of the city’s windrow clearing service each year before winter begins. But once opted out, property owners cannot change their mind mid-season except under limited circumstances.
Municipal officials also remind residents that windrows created by sidewalk plowing operations are not covered under the driveway windrow program — meaning those sidewalks often remain the responsibility of homeowners to clear.
Calls for Better Coordination and Communication
Councillors and community advocates say the persistent complaints reveal a broader need for improved coordination between road, sidewalk and windrow plowing — or at least clearer communication about expected timing.
Some have proposed enhancing the “Track My Plow / Windrow” tools so residents have better visibility into when crews will arrive in their area. Others suggest exploring equipment or operational changes that allow snow clearing and windrow removal to happen in closer sequence, reducing double-shovelling burdens for homeowners.
Residents Adapt, but Tension Remains
Despite municipal deadlines and a structured program, the lived experience for many drivers is early-morning shovelling, delayed windrow service and snowy sidewalks that complicate daily life come January and February.
“It’s not just inconvenience,” one local pedestrian said. “It’s about safety — for kids walking to school, for people catching the bus, and for anyone trying to get around without a car.”
For now, Richmond Hill’s winter maintenance crews continue their rounds, balancing snow removal priorities with the physical realities of heavy storms — and navigating the growing expectations of a community that wants clearer streets and clear walkways.