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Council Policy No.:
CP2021-046 (formerly C 125 EPW 001)
Council Policy Name:
Level of Service Policy - Sidewalk Winter Maintenance
Date Approved by Council:
November 29, 2005
Date revision approved by Council:
November, 2013December, 2015
November 16, 2021CW2021-286/CR2021-532
Related SOP, Management Directive, Council Policy, Forms
CP2021-045 Level of Service Policy - Road Winter Maintenance
Policy Statement and Rationale:
It is the objective of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Public Works Department to apply its operational activities in an efficient and effective way, to provide safe walking conditions consistent with a small town or village setting during those times of the year when winter conditions can be expected. The purpose will be to achieve the Levels of Service as defined herein, and in no case shall the Levels of Service provided be allowed to fall below the Minimum Maintenance Standards provided for in the Municipal Act SO 2001 c. 25 as identified in the Minimum Maintenance Standards O. Reg. 239/02 as amended by O. Reg.47/13 made thereunder.
Scope:
This policy shall apply to all sidewalks within road allowances assumed and maintained by the City of Kawartha Lakes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes nor its officials or employees make any promise, assurance or guarantee that the services provided by the Public Works Department will be in excess of the minimum as detailed herein.
Inherent within the standard is the expectation that users will act responsibly and will act, at all times, reasonably with due regard for the prevailing weather and sidewalk conditions.
Definitions:
Ambient Conditions are conditions that are commonly found in a stabilized environment. Normally in ambient conditions there are no negative effects actively reducing the existing conditions. i.e. Storm, excess traffic or construction effects are not in evidence. (See Storm conditions.)
Aspects the context of these standards refers to specific elements of sidewalk service, which are defined by these standards.
"As Soon As Practicable" shall mean without undue delay.
Central Business District "CBD" means the central business district of an urban area. It is the location where much of the commercial activity of the urban area is undertaken or as defined by the boundaries of a Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Conditions define the state in which the subject matter is found. The policy indicates the condition being measured.
Day is a calendar day. (See also working day.)
Effect is the acting of an external influence on the condition of any aspect of the sidewalk.
Improved condition refers to the condition being better than it was before, from the perspective of a typical user, all other effects being equal.
Inspection is the activity performed by a qualified person, authorized and directed by the Director of Public Works or designate(s) to investigate and report on the relevant conditions of the sidewalks.
Policy(ies) decisions of a formal nature made by the road authority and/or municipal council to enable, qualify and govern the activities of the road authority as required by law.
Operations means those activities the Public Works Department performs to improve a condition or maintain the sidewalk standard.
Response describes thereasonable action taken by the roadway authority when informed or reasonably aware of an effect or condition. Monitoring an effect or condition may constitute a response. A reasonable response considers the relevant standards.
Roadway Authority indicates the public agency accountable for the status and condition of the roadway. This refers to the Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes and its designated officials or agents.
Section refers to a portion of a sidewalk. A sidewalk section is commonly used for construction costing, inventory control in Maintenance Management Systems, Road Needs Studies, Pavement Management Studies, and Priority Planning and Budgeting.
Service can be defined in two contexts. In the larger context any municipal activity is a service. A roadway network is a service, as is a library, potable water supply, etc. When used in the context of these standards, "service" refers more specifically to aspects of a pedestrian walkway and their condition. Services are seen from the perspective of the user.
Shoulder that maintained surface immediately adjacent to the traveled surface of the road. The shoulder may be partially or fully hardtop, loosetop, grassed, or earth. It is not considered a part of the road for these standards.
Sidewalk a hard surfaced, typically concrete or asphalt pathway within the public road allowance intended for the use of pedestrians.
Snow Accumulation means the natural accumulation of any of the following that, alone or together, covers more than half a lane width of a roadway:
Newly fallen snow
Wind-blown snow
Slush
Storm conditions or effects are when natural or external effects are acting upon the sidewalk surface condition. It does not refer to weather conditions that do not impact on the infrastructure. Storm conditions could include wind, rising and/or moving water, precipitation, cold temperatures (below -15°C) snowfall, freezing rain, hail, blowing snow, etc.
Supervisor refers to a person in the Public Works Department who is accountable for the deployment of operations that impact on the condition of sidewalk services.
User refers to any person travelling on or over the sidewalk.
Winter that season when cold weather effects on sidewalk conditions can be reasonably expected and as specified herein.
Policy: Winter Response
This Level of Service policy covers those activities that are required to produce safe walking conditions for a pedestrian acting responsibly and exercising due caution, during those times of the year in which winter conditions can be anticipated.
The internal sidewalk winter control resources of the City of Kawartha Lakes consist of sidewalk snow clearing units complete with plow and blower attachments and winter de-icing and/or abrasive spreading capabilities. The City employs sufficient operators to operate each unit to meet the levels of service detailed in this policy. These in house resources are supplemented with contracted resources, as needed, to meet the Cities overall obligations. In order to ensure that these resources are employed as efficiently and effectively as possible, the City of Kawartha Lakes adopts a policy of having the resources deployed generally when, and where, the needs are required as per the adopted Levels of Service.
The activities covered by this standard include continuous plowing, spot plowing, continuous sanding/salting, spot sanding/salting and inspection during normal ambient and storm conditions.
Snow Clearing Level of Service
The policy for snow clearing is to deploy resources as soon as practicable to clear snow accumulations after becoming aware that the snow accumulation is greater than the depth set out in Table 1 below and to ensure that the accumulation of snow is maintained at a level less than or equal to the maximum depth indicated within the time allowed for in the policy for the duration of the storm. For the purposes of this policy addressing snow accumulation on a sidewalk includes,
(a)plowing the sidewalk;
(b)salting the sidewalk;
(c)applying abrasive materials to the sidewalk;
(d)applying other chemical or organic agents to the sidewalk; or
(e)any combination of the methods described in clauses (a) to (d).
The following sections of sidewalk are not maintained by the City in the winter:
Little Bobcaygeon Bridge (east side), Bobcaygeon
Big Bobcaygeon Bridge (east side), Bobcaygeon
Rock Street, between Elizabeth Street and Baseline Road (north side), Coboconk
Asphalt extension of sidewalk from #42 Maguire St. to the Victoria Rail Trail (north side), Lindsay
Concrete sidewalk adjacent to #47 Deacon Cres (north side) from Deacon Cres heading east to the Victoria Rail Trail, Lindsay
Footbridge known as "The Rainbow Bridge" connecting Rainbow Bridge Park to the Scugog River Trail, Lindsay
Concrete sidewalk adjacent to #25 Barron Blvd (south side) from Barron Blvd heading west to City of Kawartha Lakes property, Lindsay
Concrete sidewalk adjacent to #19 Albert St N (south side), #86 Peel St (south side), and #88 Peel St. (south side), Lindsay
Gravel walkway adjacent to #107 Lindsay St S (north side) from Trailway Lane (adjacent to #14 Trailway Lane) heading east to #93 and #118 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay
Asphalt walkway on the south side of Dobson St from the intersection of Logie St and Dobson St heading East to the Trans-Canada Trail, Lindsay
Icy Sidewalks - Sanding and Salting
The objective will be to deploy resources as soon as practicable, after becoming aware that ice has formed on a sidewalk, or part thereof. . The response will be to treat the sidewalk or sections thereof with deicing chemicals and/or abrasives (as appropriate) to treat the ice or snow and provide improved traction within the timeframes indicated in Table 1 for such response.
Table 1 - Snow and Ice Accumulation Sidewalk Level of Service
Response to Snow Accumulation
Road Class
Maximum
Depth
Response Time
1 - 5
>8 cm
48 hours
Winter Sidewalk Inspection Level of Service - Routine Conditions
Inspection is that activity which the road authority undertakes to inform itself of, and document the condition of, its sidewalks. The City of Kawartha Lakes shall inspect its sidewalks via a representative route and shall be performed to achieve the requirements outlined in Ontario Regulation O. Reg. 366/18, s. 16.7(1) and O. Reg. 366/18, s. 16.7(2), as amended. . Patrolling a sidewalk consists of visually observing the sidewalk, either by driving by the sidewalk on the adjacent roadway or by driving or walking on the sidewalk or by electronically monitoring the sidewalk, and may be performed by persons responsible for patrolling roadways or sidewalks or by persons responsible for or performing roadway or sidewalk maintenance activities.
Central Business District (CBD) - Roles and Responsibilities
In the CBD areas of the City of Kawartha Lakes (City) sidewalk winter maintenance shall be performed as stated in this policy; the City will provide a single pass of a sidewalk unit providing a minimum one-meter-wide pathway for pedestrian travel. Adjacent property owners are responsible for the clearing of snow in-front of their properties in all areas not serviced by the City, and providing access points to designated on-street parking. No snow is to be placed onto the roadway or designated on-street parking areas. Snow is to be placed, by adjacent property owners, on the paved boulevards at or near the curb line. Snow removal activities, performed by the City, shall be carried out as defined in Council Policy C124EPW010 Roadway Level of Service Policy Winter Maintenance
Declaration of a Significant Weather Event
As per Regulation 239/02 of the Municipal Act 2001, an Ontario municipality may declare a significant weather event when a weather hazard is approaching or occurring and has the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways in which they have authority over. This declaration suspends the standard timelines required for municipalities to meet their winter maintenance objectives until the municipality declares the significant weather event has ended. In each case, during the course of a declared significant weather event, the standard for addressing winter maintenance is to monitor the weather and to deploy resources to address the issue starting from the time that the municipality deems it appropriate to do so. When the municipality has declared the event has ended, the standard timelines for winter maintenance activities will begin.
The City of Kawartha Lakes may declare a significant weather event when the weather forecast or actual weather condition includes one or more of the following conditions:
Significant snow accumulation during a 24-hour period,
Ice formation that occurs with no warning from the weather forecast,
High winds leading to large snow drifts,
Cold temperature when de-icing operations will not be effective.
The Director of Public Works or designate has the authority to declare a significant weather event. In the event the City of Kawartha Lakes declares a significant weather event the City will notify the public in one or more of the following ways:
By posting a notice on the municipality's website.
By making an announcement on a social media platform, such as Facebook or Twitter.
By sending a press release or similar communication to internet, newspaper, radio or television media.
By notification through the municipality's police service.
By any other notification method required in a by-law of the municipality. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
Revision History:
Proposed Date of Review:
Revision
Date
Description of Changes
Requested By
3
November 16, 2021
Alignment to MMS
Bryan Robinson