Winter Maintenance

Road Classification and Snow Removal Standards

Our roads are plowed, salted or sanded based on a roads classification system which prioritizes all roads maintained by the City of Markham. Roads not maintained by the City of Markham are maintained by the organization that owns the road. For a listing of which organization owns which road in Markham, view our Roads e-Map.

During snow storms, Markham’s Winter Maintenance App* will show the progress of road and sidewalk plows in Markham. Residents can watch as snow clearing efforts start with primary roads and then move to secondary roads, local roads, and sidewalks to help keep Markham moving. This new feature is also accessible as part of our mobile app, available for download from the App Store, Google Play, and BlackBerry World.

*This link should be used for information purposes only.

Stay Updated During a Storm or Emergency

How can you help?

  • Remove snow from fire hydrants and drainage catch basins near your property, please refer to the attached TRCA statement.
  • Do not push snow from your property back onto the street. It is illegal and it obstructs the work that our operators are doing.
  • Pile snow on the right side of your driveway (when facing the road) when shovelling. This helps minimize the ridge of snow (windrow) created by the snow plow at the end of your driveway.
  • Remove plowed snow at the end of your driveway (see above bullet). Snow plow operators must push snow to the curb or shoulder which can possibly cover recently shovelled driveways.
  • Avoid on-street parking. Parking Control By-law 2005-188 prohibits the parking of vehicles on streets at any time if it interferes with snow removal operations. Parked vehicles which interfere with snow removal are subject to a $150 fine and/or towing. (Note: Parking of vehicles between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. is prohibited year-round on all City streets – unless otherwise noted or allowed by a City-issued permit.)