Toronto’s slow sidewalk clearing exposed who the city leaves behind
After a record snowfall, roads were ploughed quickly while sidewalks and bike lanes stayed blocked for days. The gap reveals policy choices that worsen inequity and risk.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
A record January storm left about 50 centimetres of snow in parts of Toronto. City crews prioritised roads, and within days most streets were passable. Sidewalks and bike lanes, by contrast, remained uncleared for more than a week, creating hazards and mobility barriers for many residents.
The imbalance between road and pedestrian snow clearing is not a one-off. Similar delays after storms last winter and earlier this season show a pattern of operational and political choices that determine who the city serves first.
How the response played out
City policy and long-standing practice favours getting vehicular traffic moving, especially to keep emergency routes open. After the recent storm, crews concentrated on main roads and priority routes. That approach delivered quickly on driving conditions, but left large stretches of sidewalks, laneways and cycle lanes with piled or uncleared snow.
The result was practical and visible. People with mobility devices or strollers found exits blocked. Cyclists had to merge into vehicle lanes where they are less protected. Delivery and courier riders continued to work in hazardous conditions. Many residents took it on themselves to clear the walk in front of their home, an uneven solution that highlights inequity.
Why this matters for a growing, walkable city
Toronto has shifted planning assumptions toward denser neighbourhoods and more people walking and cycling. New developments are being built with fewer parking requirements to support that shift. Those policy choices create an obligation: if the city asks people to travel on foot or by bike, it must provide safe, reliable infrastructure for them to do so year-round.
Snow clearing is infrastructure maintenance. Like transit, waste collection and water services, it is an everyday public good. When it fails, the consequences fall unevenly on people who cannot substitute a different mode of travel or afford private solutions.
Where the system is breaking down
Several factors contribute to repeated shortfalls. Records show unusually large snowfalls are harder to manage with existing fleets and crews. Contract terms with private contractors can limit flexibility. City messaging has sometimes overstated progress on clearing, eroding trust. Operational decisions, such as moving snow into cycle lanes to clear transit stops or prioritising curbside parking spaces before sidewalks, create policy incoherence.
Those are solvable problems, but solving them requires political will, budget choices and clearer operational priorities that align with the city’s stated commitments to equity and active transportation.
What meaningful change would look like
Toronto can retain a sensible priority on keeping emergency and transit routes open while elevating sidewalks and bike lanes in the hierarchy of clearing. That will take targeted investments, adjustments to contracts and clearer service standards so residents know what to expect.
- Set and publish clear timelines for sidewalk and cycle-lane clearance after storms, with measurable service standards.
- Create dedicated sidewalk and multi-use path crews, equipped for narrow and high-use corridors.
- Renegotiate contractor arrangements to allow rapid scaling or mutual aid in extreme events.
- Prioritise high-need areas, including routes to transit, hospitals, seniors facilities and schools.
- Improve on-the-ground reporting and transparency so claims about cleared streets match observable conditions.
- Expand assistance programs for seniors and residents with disabilities who cannot clear routes themselves.
Practical steps for residents
Many people will continue to clear the walk in front of their homes, and neighbourhood groups can coordinate to help those who cannot. Report uncleared sidewalks through the city’s official channels and keep a record of submissions. Advocate to your councillor for clearer standards and accountability for contractors.
The onus should not be on individual neighbours alone. Public services exist so people do not have to shoulder basic safety tasks themselves.
The political choice
Deciding how to allocate limited winter resources is a political act. The recent storm exposed a choice Toronto leaders have already made in practice, even if not explicitly: roads first, sidewalks later. That choice has equity consequences. If the mayor and council want a truly walkable city, they must prioritise pedestrian and cycling routes in winter response plans and back that preference with funding and accountability.
Clearing snow quickly on sidewalks and lanes is not merely operational housekeeping. It is a test of whether city services match Toronto’s stated goals for mobility and inclusion. Residents should expect clearer standards, better communications and an operational plan that treats getting around on foot or by bike as essential, not optional.
The next storm will be another test. The city can respond by repeating the same trade-offs, or it can change the calculus so that winter streets work for everyone.
Torontosnowcity servicesactive transportationaccessibilityurban policy
