Month: December 2019

Dear Scarborough-Guildwood Residents

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful merry Christmas and a happy holiday season, and also a friendly reminder to stay safe and warm during our colder months.

The City of Toronto’s Holiday Wish List is live on the City’s website. The Holiday Wish List is a perfect way for you, your family and friends to spread a little holiday cheer and for ways to help people who are homeless and vulnerable this holiday season, you can make a donation to a community agency that serves them.

The Holiday Wish List provides details about agencies’ name, location, and about what type of donations they need. You can also volunteer with a community agency. The City of Toronto’s Holiday Wish List can be found here.

Toronto residents and visitors will be able to take advantage of many City programs and attractions this holiday season, from outdoor winter recreational activities to indoor seasonal traditions. Details can be found here.

The Toronto Zoo’s Terra Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk into a Bright Future opened on December 13^th taking visitors on a journey through a luminous vision of our planet’s future. For tickets and more information on the outdoor immersive multimedia experience here.

The CNE presents this year’s Aurora Winter Festival. Toronto’s Ontario Place will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland with beautiful skating rink, a tube park, massive light displays, a Christmas Market and more. For tickets and more information visit this website.

The City of Toronto’s Transportation Services’ winter operation plans are in full effect this winter season. Full details on the City’s Winter Operations can be found here.

You can follow the City’s Transportation Services on Twitter @TO_WinterOps and the PlowTO Map where you can track real time locations of plows, sidewalk plows and salt trucks which also identify which roads have been serviced by winter snow clearing vehicles and crews. The PlowTO Map can be found here.

To report any snow related concerns, please call 311, email 311@toronto.ca, or use the 311 app available online.

I wish everyone safe, warm and happy holidays.

All my Best,

Paul W. Ainslie

Dear Ward 24 Residents,

Welcome to the new and enhanced PlowTO Map (Version 2.0)!

It can be found at www.toronto.ca/plowTO !

The City has a fleet of more than 1,100 snow clearing vehicles as well as more than 1,500 personnel (contracted and City staff) on standby 24 hours a day and seven days a week ready to respond to snow at a moment’s notice. Residents can track real time locations of plows, sidewalk plows and salt trucks below and identify which roads have been serviced by the City’s winter operations crews.

PlowTO allows users to follow winter equipment in real-time and provide an approximate time frame within which an area was last serviced.

New for the 2019/20 winter season:

• ESRI based mapping and design enhancements
• Real-time location of sidewalk equipment
• New map layers (wards, traffic cameras and cycling network)
• Enhanced search functionality by ward, address and intersection

Please refer to the Twitter feed Follow @TO_WinterOps for more on how snow is managed in Toronto, on the second tab for equipment activation times and updates on the status of winter operations.

The site will continue to undergo testing and will evolve based on user feedback. Please send comments, report any bugs, glitches or problems with the site to smp@toronto.ca.

***Disclaimer: Please note that the data and information on this website is for informational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate information, errors may be present and information may not be complete. Accordingly, the City of Toronto, Transportation Services Division make no representation as to the accuracy of the information or its suitability for any purpose and disclaim any liability for omissions or errors that may be contained therein.***

All my Best,

Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

For the snow event of December 1, here is an update on Transportation Services’ winter operations plans as of December 3 at 9am.
Note: These plans are estimates only and subject to changing conditions such as timing of the event and the amount/type of precipitation.
Weather: A series of weak system will move over the region with scattered flurries and a few periods of snow through Tuesday afternoon and evening and again for Wednesday afternoon lingering through the night.

Possible trace – 1cm accumulations through Tuesday and another trace – 2cm possible through Wednesday.
Roadway Salting:

– Spotsalting only today on expressways, arterial, and collector roads as part of cleanup operations.

– 3rd round of salting today on local roads.
Roadway Plowing

– AM cleanup today on arterial and collector roads.

– Local road plowing completed late Monday evening / early Tuesday morning in all areas.

– 311 is now taking SRs
Trails & Separated Bike Lanes

– Cleanup only today, where required, on Martin Goodman Trail, Humber Bay Waterfront Trail and separated bike lanes
Sidewalks & Bus Stops

– 3rd round of high and low volume sidewalks commenced on Tuesday morning, where required, following the completion of local road plowing and will continue throughout the day

– 1st round of bus stop clearing is underway following the completion of arterial road plowing. This will continue for approx. 24 – 48hrs.

– 311 is now taking Srs

For up to the minute updates please follow Transportation Services on Twitter at @TO_WinterOps and on our newly re-launched real-time public GPS site at www.toronto.ca/plowto

Please remember to check on elderly and physically handicapped neighbours.

All my Best,

Paul

December 2, 2019 11AM

Good morning everyone,

For the snow event of December 1, here is an update on Transportation Services’ winter operations plans as of December 2 at 9am.

Note:  These plans are estimates only and subject to changing conditions such as timing of the event and the amount/type of precipitation.

Weather:  Periods of snow lingering over the region through to 6am then tapering back to flurries for the remainder of Monday morning. Also wind gusts up to 40 km/h will linger through to Monday afternoon. Flurries will diminish and winds ease with dry conditions expected for Monday night. Dry conditions will continue throughout the day on Tuesday before a series of weak systems will move through with mainly flurries and only a few periods of snow for Tuesday night lingering through to Wednesday afternoon with a trace – 1cm possible every 12hrs.

Roadway Salting:             

–              Multiple rounds of salt have been applied to expressways, arterial, and collector roads.  Roads are being salted again Monday morning.

–              Local roads were salted on Sunday.  A second round commenced through the overnight period and will continue through Monday morning.

Roadway Plowing

–              1^st round of plowing operations on arterial and collector roads, were completed by approx. 12am Monday.  2^nd round of plowing commenced overnight and will continue through the am rush hour.

–              As a result of the overnight snow, we have reached the required 8cm threshold to begin plowing local roads.  Local road plowing will begin at approx. 9am and continue into late Monday evening.

Trails & Separated Bike Lanes

–              The Martin Goodman Trail, Humber Bay Waterfront Trail and separated bike lanes have been salted/plowed again this morning.  Cleanup will continue throughout the morning.

Sidewalks & Bus Stops

–              First round of mechanical sidewalk clearing on high pedestrian volume sidewalks and bus stops commenced at approx. 10am Sunday and will be completed Sunday evening

–              Second/third round commenced overnight and will continue through the day Monday.

Snow Event Update # 6 will be distributed at approximately 5pm Monday.

For up to the minute updates please follow Transportation Services on Twitter at @TO_WinterOps and on our newly re-launched real-time public GPS site at www.toronto.ca/plowto    

Please look in on your elderly and physically handicapped neighbours!

All my Best,

Paul

Good Evening Ward 24 Neighbours,

For the snow event of December 1, here is an update on City of Toronto Transportation Services’  winter operations plans as of December 1 at 6pm.

***Note:  These plans are estimates only and subject to changing conditions such as timing of the event and the amount/type of precipitation.***

Weather:  Light snow becomes spotty and intermittent late this afternoon and continues overnight ending by mid Monday morning. Wet snow amounts of 2 to 4 cm are possible by late in the day with the highest amounts on grassy and elevated surfaces. An additional 2 or 3 cm is possible overnight along with some patchy freezing drizzle before it ends Monday morning. Winds will continue to gust to 60 km/h at times this afternoon diminishing to gusting 40 km/h overnight and through the day tomorrow.

Due to insufficient snow accumulation, it is unlikely that local roads will be plowed in response to this snow event.  High & low pedestrian volume sidewalks, as well as separated bike lanes, will be cleared/salted multiple times.

Roadway Salting:             

–              Salting operations in all areas of the city commenced at approx. 8am – 9am Sunday. 

–              Multiple rounds of salt have been applied to expressways, arterial, and collector roads.

–              Salters will complete their first round of salting on local roads later this evening.  As second round will be applied through the overnight period and into Monday morning.

Roadway Plowing

–              Plowing operations on arterial and collector roads, where required, commenced at approx. 1pm – 2pm and will be completed by approx. 12am.  There may be some cleanup operation through the overnight period.

–              No plowing operations on local roads due to lack of accumulation.

Trails & Separated Bike Lanes

–              Approx 3 rounds of salting & plowing of the Martin Goodman Trail & Humber Bay Waterfront Trail since approx. 8am Sunday

–              Approx 3 rounds of salting & plowing of the separated bike lanes since approx. 8am Sunday

–              Approx 3 rounds of salting & plowing on trails and bike lanes since approx. 8am Sunday.

Sidewalks & Bus Stops

–              First round of mechanical sidewalk clearing on high pedestrian volume sidewalks and bus stops commenced at approx. 10am Sunday and will be completed Sunday evening

–              Second round will commence overnight and continue through Monday.

For up to the minute updates please follow Transportation Services on Twitter at @TO_WinterOps and on our newly re-launched real-time public GPS site at www.toronto.ca/plowto    

All my Best,

Paul

Good Afternoon Ward 24 Neighbours,

For the snow event of December 1, here is an update from City of Toronto Transportation Services’  winter operations plans as of December 1 at 1pm.

Note:  These plans are estimates only and subject to changing conditions such as timing of the event and  the amount/type of precipitation.

Environment Canada has issued a Weather Advisory –  https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?on61#2006086492130422201201911300503wo1171cwto

Weather:  A winter storm has moved in with the risk of ice pellets for mid-late Sunday morning before mixing with snow into the early afternoon. Ice pellets will taper with light-moderate snow dominating for the remainder of the day and night then tapering to on and off flurries for the day on Monday. Generally speaking the farther west you travel the less snow and more ice pellets and the east the less ice pellets and more snow.  All models have the freezing rain line over the Oakville to Milton area with ice pellets mainly affecting the Etobicoke to western Toronto while the downtown/north/eastern areas should see mostly snow. That being said areas to the west and could see from 1-3cm of ice pellets and 5-12cm of snow while the downtown/north/east could see trace-2cm of ice pellets and 7-15cm of snow. Snow rates should be in the range of 1-2.5cm/hr through the afternoon and 0.5-1cm/hr through Sunday night.

Given the forecast accumulation, it is likely that multiple rounds of salting and/or plowing will be required  on expressways, arterial and collector roads.  Local roads will also be plowed when snowfall has reached 8cm and has substantially stopped.  High & low pedestrian volume sidewalks, as well as separated  bike lanes, may also be cleared/salted multiple times.

Patrol:

–          Transportation maintains a 24/7 patrol to constantly monitor road and sidewalk conditions.

Roadway Salting:             

–              Salting operations in all areas of the city commenced at approx. 8am – 9am Sunday. 

–              Salter are just completing their second round of salt on arterial roads.

–              Salters are currently on their first round of salt on local roads.

–              Multiple rounds of salt will be required.  Salting will continue through the morning/afternoon until plowing thresholds are met.

Roadway Plowing

–              Plowing operations on expressways will commence at 2.5cm of accumulation

–              Plowing operations on arterial and collector roads will commence at 5cm of accumulation

–              Timing of plowing operations on arterial and collector roads will vary throughout the city due to the amount of freezing rain & snow received

–              Plowing operations on local roads will commence when accumulations have reached 8cm and are substantially complete – approximately 6pm Sunday.

Trails & Separated Bike Lanes

–              Salting & plowing of the Martin Goodman Trail & Humber Bay Waterfront Trail commenced at approx. 8am Sunday

–              Salting & plowing of the separated bike lanes commenced at approx. 8am Sunday

–              Multiple rounds of plowing & salting on trails and bike lanes will be required

Sidewalks & Bus Stops

–              Mechanical sidewalk clearing on high pedestrian volume sidewalks and bus stops commenced at approx. 10am and will continue through Sunday evening

–              Multiple rounds of sidewalk salting & plowing may be required.

Snow Event Update # 4 will be distributed at approximately 6pm Sunday.

For up to the minute updates please follow Transportation Services on Twitter at @TO_WinterOps and on our newly re-launched real-time public GPS site at  www.toronto.ca/plowto    

Please remember to check on meighbours who are elderly or physically challenged by this weather!

All my Best,

Paul