City of Peterborough Prepared for Winter Weather

Peterborough, ON - Snow-clearing crews are ready and on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep roads, sidewalks and trails safe and accessible throughout the season.  

Snow is in the forecast for Sunday, November 9, and crews are monitoring the radar and ready to respond to maintain safe and accessible roads, sidewalks and trails throughout the community. 

“City crews are dedicated to keeping Peterborough moving safely through all winter weather conditions. Working around the clock, they respond swiftly to changing conditions, ensuring that residents and visitors can travel safely throughout the city,” said Councillor Keith Riel, Municipal Operations Co-Chair. 

City crews carry out winter maintenance across the community in accordance with regulated standards. 

The City’s snow-clearing operations maintain: 

• Roads: 978 kilometres are cleared using 16 plow routes. These routes can be augmented with 2 graders, 7 loaders, backhoes and 4 sanding units. 
• Sidewalks: 450 kilometres are cleared over 9 plow routes. 
• Trails and bus stops: 40 kilometres of trails and 650 bus stops are maintained. 
• Parking lots: Winter service is provided for 28 municipal surface parking lots. 

Service levels  

Snow clearing operations follow a priority route system. Roads with the highest traffic volumes, on transit routes, or that pass by the hospital are cleared first. Once these main routes are safe and clear, crews move to residential and local streets. 

The time required to complete snow clearing depends on the severity and duration of the storm. Prolonged or heavy snowfall may increase the time needed to clear residential streets. 

The City follows the provincial guidelines set under the Municipal Act, 2001, O. Reg. 239/02: Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways. The regulations categorize and prioritize roads based on traffic volumes and speed limits – the greater the volume of traffic and the higher the speed limit on the roads, the higher the priority is for snow and ice clearing. The guidelines also include standards for the winter maintenance of bike lanes along roads and sidewalks.  

Downtown snow clearing   

As snow accumulates, City crews regularly remove snowbanks in the downtown area. To keep the area clear for this work, ‘No Parking’ signs are posted in advance of snowbank removal. 

Winter parking restrictions  

Parking rules change in the snowy season to assist with snow-clearing work. Keeping streets clear overnight allows for more efficient snow clearing of City streets.  

During a snowstorm, when snow-clearing operations are underway, no parking is permitted on any city street. The fine is $80 for this violation and vehicles may be towed. Snow-clearing operations typically take place between midnight and 8 a.m.  

Free overnight parking is permitted at all municipal parking lots, including the King Street Parkade, 202 King St. and the Simcoe Parking Garage, 190 Simcoe St. Customers parking overnight at either garage can obtain a gate arm ticket upon entry, which can be used for a free transit trip home. 

From December 1 to April 1, parking is prohibited on all city streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. The fine for a violation is $35. 

Declaring a Significant Weather Event  

Municipalities can declare a Significant Weather Event under the Municipal Act, 2001, O. Reg. 239/02, when weather conditions pose a significant danger to road users. During such a declaration, the municipality’s roads are deemed to be in a state of repair with respect to snow accumulation, allowing for extended or altered snow‑clearing timelines. 

During a significant weather event, residents are advised to use caution, as standard winter maintenance service levels for roads may not be maintained. Motorists are encouraged to stay home and travel only if necessary. 

Stay up-to-date on City snow-clearing  

• Visit peterborough.ca/snow to learn more about City snow-clearing work  
• Subscribe to updates from the City at peterborough.ca/subscribe  
• Monitor local news sources, including television, radio, newspapers and online news media for updates.