Roads and Parking Services
The Roads and Parking Services team is responsible for the City’s winter maintenance program. It is committed to helping make Ottawa’s roads, sidewalks and winter cycling network safe and passable for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
An effective winter maintenance program is essential for the municipality to function under normal winter weather conditions. Guided by Maintenance Quality Standards (MQS), roads, sidewalks and the winter cycling network are cleared based on their usage volume and priority level.
Under normal snowfall conditions, snow clearing and / or treatment on major roads, arterial roads, and major collector roads begins at the start of accumulation. After the last snowflake falls, major roads, arterial roads, and major collectors are plowed within four hours, minor collector roads within six hours and residential roads and lanes within 10 hours.
Sidewalks are plowed within six to sixteen hours based on their priority level. Under significant winter storm conditions – i.e., those that exceed normal conditions –or when Environment Canada issues a winter weather hazard, the City may call a “significant weather event” meaning that it may take longer to clear the snow and winter operations will be carried out based on the capacity of resources.
This will be done in as continuous a manner as possible to keep the roads, sidewalks and winter cycling network safe and may include multiple passes of the same area due to accumulation. This will give crews the flexibility to provide relief in residential areas, while simultaneously maintaining and clearing priority roads.
Enhancements for the 2021/2022 Season
As part of the MQS review recently undertaken by Roads and Parking Services, residents can expect to see staff using grit (a fine stone product) instead of sand to provide greater traction on roads, sidewalks and the winter cycling network. It’s also more easily cleaned up during spring operations. Many plows and loaders will be refitted with rubber blades instead of steel ones to provide quieter service and better clearing quality.
Winter Weather Parking Bans
From November 15 to April 1, when Environment Canada forecasts 7 cm or more of snow or significant ice in the Ottawa area, a winter weather parking ban may be called. The ban is called to support winter operations. When there are no vehicles on the road, operators can more effectively clear the roads and catch basins of ice and snow.
New this year, the winter weather parking ban will be called at set times to allow residents to prepare:
*A call by 9 am for an overnight parking ban; overnight parking bans are from 7 pm - 7 am. •
*A call by 3:30 pm for a daytime parking ban; daytime parking bans are from 10 am - 7 pm.
Vehicles without a residential parking permit that are parked on the street during a winter weather parking ban will be ticketed and towed.
To support local businesses, a program started last year to allow for paid parking on designated commercial main streets during winter weather parking bans will be continued this winter. When an overnight winter parking ban is in effect, the City issues a special advisory to the local media and posts it on ottawa.ca.
Residents can also sign up for notifications, receive Winter Parking Alerts by email, or follow the City of Ottawa on Twitter.
Where to park during a winter weather parking ban?
Over the past two years, the City has increased the number of available parking alternatives during a winter weather event to include designated park and ride locations and recreation centres, as well as some municipal garages.
Parking is available at specific times, and residents are responsible for observing the guidelines, or they will have to pay the regular parking rate for their stay.
During a severe winter weather event, additional flexibility around winter weather parking bans will be required.
Traffic Services
During the winter season, the Traffic Management team activates the Traffic Incident Management Group. This group looks at most major roads and intersections within the City of Ottawa and reports any important information – such as accidents or heavy traffic – to Roads and OC Transpo staff.
Safer Roads Ottawa will issue winter road safety messaging on social media. The Safer Roads team will work with Ottawa Police on winter driving safety campaigns, one of which will run prior to the first major expected snowfall.
Traffic Services also adopted a new Traffic Map that launched June 2021. The map includes new and improved features including:
• A mobile friendly, accessible interface;
• An easy-to-use search bar; and,
• A map that provides better coverage and road names in both official languages
It also features information to help residents navigate Ottawa roads during the winter season including:
• Traffic cameras;
• Construction;
• Events (including any street closures for Christmas parades and Winterlude);
• Incidents;
• City parking;
• Park and Ride locations; and
• Red light cameras.
The traffic map is in beta phase and currently being promoted weekly through the City’s traffic public service announcements.
Water Services
During typical winters in Ottawa, some homes and businesses experience a frozen water service pipe that prevents water from reaching their internal plumbing.
To minimize the risk of this service interruption, as many as 2,600 customers in the season may be issued notices. Through a phased notification process – based on increasing frost penetration depths – notices are issued to drinking water customers who have experienced frozen water services in previous years. The notice provides customers with advance notification of a potential repeat frozen service event, information on how to avoid a frozen water service and what to do if their service line freezes.
As in past winters, Environment Canada and Weather Network data has been used to predict frost depths. This allows Water Services to manage the potential risk of a frozen water service pipe that connects the City’s water distribution system into homes or buildings. Modeling begins once daily temperatures are consistently below zero degrees Celsius.
Customers receive different notices depending on whether previous experience indicates the risk of freezing lies on the public or private side of the property line.
Hydrant Winter Safety
Each winter our staff inspect and maintain more than 23,000 fire hydrants across the city. This helps Ottawa Fire Services ensure our firefighters have access to operational hydrants in the event of a fire. Nothing should impede hydrant access or operation in the event of an emergency, as per Water By-law 2019-74 and the Ontario Fire Code (subsection 6.6.4). We are asking Ottawa residents and businesses to avoid piling snow on hydrants when clearing parking lots and driveways and to clear the hydrant on their property if they are able.
Residents are encouraged to be hydrant heroes by keeping their local hydrant clear of snow.
Parks, Forestry and Stormwater Services
Parks operations prepared for the winter season by closing and winterizing spray pads, wading pools, parks fountains, decorative fountains and irrigation systems. Integrated Turf Management for sports fields and related park amenities – such as ball diamonds and outdoor sports courts – continued to be serviced through the fall.
Seasonal docks, and tennis, volleyball and safety netting were removed.
Seasonal waste receptacles are removed from park locations that are not maintained during the winter and are reinstalled in the spring each year. Permanent receptacles may be capped where they are unable to be removed or serviced during the winter.
Throughout the winter season, Parks will maintain rinks including installing temporary rink boards, hockey nets, lighting and netting;
flooding outdoor rinks with no on-site water source; supporting community-run rinks by providing emergency access and responding to requests for repairs.
Additionally, Parks staff will install protective foam/straw bales at select tobogganing hills, clear snow at City-owned facility parking lots, and continue monthly inspections of play structures.
Parks staff will also continue to service a reduced number of park waste receptacles in areas with winter activities. Requests for graffiti removal and reports of hazardous conditions within park areas will continue to be addressed.
Forestry operations continue during the winter months as well. Crews focus on proactive tree inspections, pruning and removals – in addition to responding to service requests for trees. Ongoing tree maintenance activities include removal of dead or unsafe trees, tree pruning, insect and disease control, and municipal conservation forest maintenance. Our 24/7 team is available to respond to emergency calls including winter storm response through 3-1-1.
While tree planting only takes place in the spring (May-June) and fall (October-November), residents and community groups can continue to request tree planting year-round for various programs. Requests will be processed for the next available planting season. Tree by-law enforcement and the review of tree removal permit applications continue year-round as well.
The Tree Inventory Program is an essential tool to assist in the management of the City’s urban and rural forests. Data collected includes the location, species and other characteristics of City owned trees. Data collection and maintenance is done on a year-round basis.
Stormwater management ponds remain active during winter to capture rain and melt events. As a reminder, recreational activities are not permitted on these ponds as water levels and flows change rapidly making skating and other activities dangerous.
Solid Waste Services
Daily collection continues for garbage, recycling and organic waste during the winter months. In case of delays due to bad weather conditions, PWES and PIMR notify the public through social media and ReCollect messages.
Historically, the City’s household hazardous waste (HHW) depot events run from spring to fall each year. The last depot of 2021 was held at the end of October. Information on the status of HHW depot events will be provided through the Strategy for the Hazardous and Special Products Program Transition to Individual Producer Responsibility report to Committee on November 16, 2021 and to Council on November 24, 2021, with the future event schedule released in early 2022.
Throughout the year, household hazardous waste can be disposed of at various locations around the City. Residents can find details about disposing of specific materials by using the Waste Explorer on the City’s website.
Solid Waste Services collects Christmas trees year-round, but they must be free of decorations and not wrapped in plastic bags.
For curbside collection, they will be collected on the same day as the green bin.
For multi-residential collection, properties with green bin collection should contact their property manager and ask where to place their Christmas trees until collection day. Christmas trees from these properties will be collected with the regular organic material.
Multiresidential properties without green bin collection should check their address in the collection calendar tool on ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 to find out about the next curbside collection day in their neighbourhood. They can then place their tree at the curb for pick-up by the City’s curbside contractor.
The Solid Waste Master Plan is advancing to its next project phase: public consultation on the short-listed options and integrated waste management systems. Residents and stakeholders will soon be asked to provide feedback that will help shape the draft Solid Waste Master Plan.
The Roads and Parking Services team is responsible for the City’s winter maintenance program. It is committed to helping make Ottawa’s roads, sidewalks and winter cycling network safe and passable for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
An effective winter maintenance program is essential for the municipality to function under normal winter weather conditions. Guided by Maintenance Quality Standards (MQS), roads, sidewalks and the winter cycling network are cleared based on their usage volume and priority level.
Under normal snowfall conditions, snow clearing and / or treatment on major roads, arterial roads, and major collector roads begins at the start of accumulation. After the last snowflake falls, major roads, arterial roads, and major collectors are plowed within four hours, minor collector roads within six hours and residential roads and lanes within 10 hours.
Sidewalks are plowed within six to sixteen hours based on their priority level. Under significant winter storm conditions – i.e., those that exceed normal conditions –or when Environment Canada issues a winter weather hazard, the City may call a “significant weather event” meaning that it may take longer to clear the snow and winter operations will be carried out based on the capacity of resources.
This will be done in as continuous a manner as possible to keep the roads, sidewalks and winter cycling network safe and may include multiple passes of the same area due to accumulation. This will give crews the flexibility to provide relief in residential areas, while simultaneously maintaining and clearing priority roads.
Enhancements for the 2021/2022 Season
As part of the MQS review recently undertaken by Roads and Parking Services, residents can expect to see staff using grit (a fine stone product) instead of sand to provide greater traction on roads, sidewalks and the winter cycling network. It’s also more easily cleaned up during spring operations. Many plows and loaders will be refitted with rubber blades instead of steel ones to provide quieter service and better clearing quality.
Winter Weather Parking Bans
From November 15 to April 1, when Environment Canada forecasts 7 cm or more of snow or significant ice in the Ottawa area, a winter weather parking ban may be called. The ban is called to support winter operations. When there are no vehicles on the road, operators can more effectively clear the roads and catch basins of ice and snow.
New this year, the winter weather parking ban will be called at set times to allow residents to prepare:
*A call by 9 am for an overnight parking ban; overnight parking bans are from 7 pm - 7 am. •
*A call by 3:30 pm for a daytime parking ban; daytime parking bans are from 10 am - 7 pm.
Vehicles without a residential parking permit that are parked on the street during a winter weather parking ban will be ticketed and towed.
To support local businesses, a program started last year to allow for paid parking on designated commercial main streets during winter weather parking bans will be continued this winter. When an overnight winter parking ban is in effect, the City issues a special advisory to the local media and posts it on ottawa.ca.
Residents can also sign up for notifications, receive Winter Parking Alerts by email, or follow the City of Ottawa on Twitter.
Where to park during a winter weather parking ban?
Over the past two years, the City has increased the number of available parking alternatives during a winter weather event to include designated park and ride locations and recreation centres, as well as some municipal garages.
Parking is available at specific times, and residents are responsible for observing the guidelines, or they will have to pay the regular parking rate for their stay.
During a severe winter weather event, additional flexibility around winter weather parking bans will be required.
Traffic Services
During the winter season, the Traffic Management team activates the Traffic Incident Management Group. This group looks at most major roads and intersections within the City of Ottawa and reports any important information – such as accidents or heavy traffic – to Roads and OC Transpo staff.
Safer Roads Ottawa will issue winter road safety messaging on social media. The Safer Roads team will work with Ottawa Police on winter driving safety campaigns, one of which will run prior to the first major expected snowfall.
Traffic Services also adopted a new Traffic Map that launched June 2021. The map includes new and improved features including:
• A mobile friendly, accessible interface;
• An easy-to-use search bar; and,
• A map that provides better coverage and road names in both official languages
It also features information to help residents navigate Ottawa roads during the winter season including:
• Traffic cameras;
• Construction;
• Events (including any street closures for Christmas parades and Winterlude);
• Incidents;
• City parking;
• Park and Ride locations; and
• Red light cameras.
The traffic map is in beta phase and currently being promoted weekly through the City’s traffic public service announcements.
Water Services
During typical winters in Ottawa, some homes and businesses experience a frozen water service pipe that prevents water from reaching their internal plumbing.
To minimize the risk of this service interruption, as many as 2,600 customers in the season may be issued notices. Through a phased notification process – based on increasing frost penetration depths – notices are issued to drinking water customers who have experienced frozen water services in previous years. The notice provides customers with advance notification of a potential repeat frozen service event, information on how to avoid a frozen water service and what to do if their service line freezes.
As in past winters, Environment Canada and Weather Network data has been used to predict frost depths. This allows Water Services to manage the potential risk of a frozen water service pipe that connects the City’s water distribution system into homes or buildings. Modeling begins once daily temperatures are consistently below zero degrees Celsius.
Customers receive different notices depending on whether previous experience indicates the risk of freezing lies on the public or private side of the property line.
Hydrant Winter Safety
Each winter our staff inspect and maintain more than 23,000 fire hydrants across the city. This helps Ottawa Fire Services ensure our firefighters have access to operational hydrants in the event of a fire. Nothing should impede hydrant access or operation in the event of an emergency, as per Water By-law 2019-74 and the Ontario Fire Code (subsection 6.6.4). We are asking Ottawa residents and businesses to avoid piling snow on hydrants when clearing parking lots and driveways and to clear the hydrant on their property if they are able.
Residents are encouraged to be hydrant heroes by keeping their local hydrant clear of snow.
Parks, Forestry and Stormwater Services
Parks operations prepared for the winter season by closing and winterizing spray pads, wading pools, parks fountains, decorative fountains and irrigation systems. Integrated Turf Management for sports fields and related park amenities – such as ball diamonds and outdoor sports courts – continued to be serviced through the fall.
Seasonal docks, and tennis, volleyball and safety netting were removed.
Seasonal waste receptacles are removed from park locations that are not maintained during the winter and are reinstalled in the spring each year. Permanent receptacles may be capped where they are unable to be removed or serviced during the winter.
Throughout the winter season, Parks will maintain rinks including installing temporary rink boards, hockey nets, lighting and netting;
flooding outdoor rinks with no on-site water source; supporting community-run rinks by providing emergency access and responding to requests for repairs.
Additionally, Parks staff will install protective foam/straw bales at select tobogganing hills, clear snow at City-owned facility parking lots, and continue monthly inspections of play structures.
Parks staff will also continue to service a reduced number of park waste receptacles in areas with winter activities. Requests for graffiti removal and reports of hazardous conditions within park areas will continue to be addressed.
Forestry operations continue during the winter months as well. Crews focus on proactive tree inspections, pruning and removals – in addition to responding to service requests for trees. Ongoing tree maintenance activities include removal of dead or unsafe trees, tree pruning, insect and disease control, and municipal conservation forest maintenance. Our 24/7 team is available to respond to emergency calls including winter storm response through 3-1-1.
While tree planting only takes place in the spring (May-June) and fall (October-November), residents and community groups can continue to request tree planting year-round for various programs. Requests will be processed for the next available planting season. Tree by-law enforcement and the review of tree removal permit applications continue year-round as well.
The Tree Inventory Program is an essential tool to assist in the management of the City’s urban and rural forests. Data collected includes the location, species and other characteristics of City owned trees. Data collection and maintenance is done on a year-round basis.
Stormwater management ponds remain active during winter to capture rain and melt events. As a reminder, recreational activities are not permitted on these ponds as water levels and flows change rapidly making skating and other activities dangerous.
Solid Waste Services
Daily collection continues for garbage, recycling and organic waste during the winter months. In case of delays due to bad weather conditions, PWES and PIMR notify the public through social media and ReCollect messages.
Historically, the City’s household hazardous waste (HHW) depot events run from spring to fall each year. The last depot of 2021 was held at the end of October. Information on the status of HHW depot events will be provided through the Strategy for the Hazardous and Special Products Program Transition to Individual Producer Responsibility report to Committee on November 16, 2021 and to Council on November 24, 2021, with the future event schedule released in early 2022.
Throughout the year, household hazardous waste can be disposed of at various locations around the City. Residents can find details about disposing of specific materials by using the Waste Explorer on the City’s website.
Solid Waste Services collects Christmas trees year-round, but they must be free of decorations and not wrapped in plastic bags.
For curbside collection, they will be collected on the same day as the green bin.
For multi-residential collection, properties with green bin collection should contact their property manager and ask where to place their Christmas trees until collection day. Christmas trees from these properties will be collected with the regular organic material.
Multiresidential properties without green bin collection should check their address in the collection calendar tool on ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 to find out about the next curbside collection day in their neighbourhood. They can then place their tree at the curb for pick-up by the City’s curbside contractor.
The Solid Waste Master Plan is advancing to its next project phase: public consultation on the short-listed options and integrated waste management systems. Residents and stakeholders will soon be asked to provide feedback that will help shape the draft Solid Waste Master Plan.
