Winter sidewalk maintenance - Keep Your Sidewalks Safe
Snow and ice on sidewalks is hazardous for everyone. People with limited mobility, seniors, children and parents with strollers (and even those with no mobility limitations at all) may be severely injured from a fall on ice or snow.
Uncleared walkways can also make it difficult for those who deliver services in our city—mail carriers, meter readers, delivery drivers and emergency personnel—to do their jobs safely. In fact, each year, hospitals and doctors’ offices are filled with people young and old who have slipped and fallen on poorly maintained sidewalks.
What is my role?
Community Standards Bylaw 14600 requires homeowners and tenants to clear snow and ice from every walk and driveway on or beside their property. Don’t forget about any other properties they own, including derelict and vacant buildings--they may have sidewalks that need to be shovelled too.
Use sand or ice-melting products to start the clearing process if you can’t shovel immediately after a snowfall. The fine for failing to clear sidewalks within 48 hours of the last snowfall is $100, so save yourself the money and get it done!
My neighbours haven’t been shovelling their walk. What can I do?
If you have a concern about a neighbour's uncleared walk:
- Discuss the concern directly with your neighbour.
- Be a Snow Angel by offering to help them keep it clear if needed. Find out more at edmonton.ca/snowangels.
- Record the address of the violation and a description of the problem if you can't resolve the problem directly with your neighbour.
- Call 311 or register a complaint online at edmonton.ca. You will be asked to provide your name, address, phone number and the details of your concern in case your testimony is required in court.*
*Complaints are accepted between November 1 and May 1, and only when it has not snowed for at least 48 hours.
Learn more about sidewalk snow maintenance at edmonton.ca/wintersidewalks
Winter Roads 101
No matter what the weather does, you have places to go, and the City of Edmonton works hard to help you get there. The City has a comprehensive roadway maintenance program to help keep traffic moving safely in the winter months.
Read on to learn the basics of the winter road maintenance program, and what you can do to help keep Edmonton mobile.
When will streets be sanded?
Sanding is the City’s first line of defense against slippery, unsafe roads. Streets are sanded as required to provide traction.
When will the main streets be plowed?
Plowing begins on main roads when 3 cm of snow has accumulated and more snow is forecasted. Roads are plowed in this order:
- Highways;
- Freeways;
- Main arterial roads;
- Bus collector routes.
During a major plowing event -- after about 10 cm has accumulated on the ground -- you can check plowing status using the interactive map at edmonton.ca/winterroads.
When will my neighbourhood roads be bladed?
Ritchie community roads are always bladed on Thursdays, regardless of which day of the week the blading cycling begins.
Blading of residential roads is initiated once a snowpack of about 5 cm has built up. But, it doesn’t begin until highways, freeways, main arterial roads and bus collector routes have been plowed.