❄️Winter Operations Update - Jan 16❄️
Ottawa received one of the first significant winter storms of the season early this past weekend. Nearly 20cm of snow was recorded at the Ottawa Airport, with some parts of the city seeing upwards of 30cm of snow. All of which came over the course of many hours.
Snow removal continues!
Keep a look out for these signs in your neighbourhood.
Vehicles parked on the roadways are an impediment to snow clearing every winter, all across the city. In a nine-hour period during Saturday’s daytime winter parking ban, Ottawa’s By-Law Service issued over 3,300 tickets to vehicles which were violating the ban. Although eligible on-street parking permit holders are exempt from the ban, we encourage those who can remove their vehicles to prevent them from being snowed in to do so. Failure to remove vehicles from the roads can delay adequate snow clearing in many areas since the large plows cannot navigate through streets that are narrowed by parked vehicles and existing snow.
If you spot a vehicle that is parked in contravention of a parking ban or parking by-laws, please make sure you call 3-1-1 to report the issue. While by-law officers do proactive patrolling, they are best able to assist with parking violations when residents report issues. Plow operators are not in a position to report to 3-1-1 while they are actively working on their beats.
I would encourage everyone to sign up for e-alerts from the City of Ottawa so you can be notified of parking bans and other important information. You can download the app or sign up for an email notification here: Winter parking | City of Ottawa
I know how frustrating it can be to feel like the area in which you live is being ignored. City crews have been working through the recent days and nights to clean up problem spots such as bus stops, crosswalks, intersections, pedestrian islands, corners, and cul-de-sacs. Please be patient and know that City staff will continue to work tirelessly to improve the conditions of our transportation network now and throughout the winter season.
DID YOU KNOW?
With 2,800km of sidewalks, 6,000km of roads, and a city the size of five major Canadian cities, Ottawa has a massive area of which to clear snow.
There is no need to create a service request for routine snow clearing. City staff are on the job and their efforts are currently needed out in the community. Service requests should only be created for emergencies.
During a winter storm, please visit Ottawa.ca/winter for the most up-to-date information from the City.