Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Dec. 19, 2022 – How Can I Stay Informed & Reach the City When a Winter Storm Hits?

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Dec. 19, 2022QUESTION:"When a winter storm hits, how can I stay informed and get in touch with the City of Burlington with any related concerns?"ANSWER:The City of Burlington's winter control program has several ways for residents to find the information they're looking for and get in touch with the City if they have any storm-related concerns.GENERAL SNOW-CLEARING/MAINTENANCE INFOGeneral information on snow clearing and winter maintenance service levels are available on the City’s website at: https://www.burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/snow-removal.aspSERVICE BURLINGTONThe Service Burlington customer service portal is the City's primary point of contact for residents to ensure all requests are handled efficiently and are tracked in one central location. Service requests and general inquiries regarding winter maintenance standards and related services, can be directed to 905-335-7777 or by email to city@burlington.ca. We encourage all requests to be sent via this method so we can accurately track inquiries and issue relevant reports.URGENT AFTER-HOURS CONCERNSAfter-hour urgent (safety related) concerns can also be directed to the City’s main line at 905-335-7777 and the option selected to report an urgent matter that will be reported immediately to City operations staff.STAYING INFORMED: SNOW EVENT DECLARATIONS/CLOSURES/PROGRAM CHANGESResidents wanting to stay informed on Snow Event declarations, facility closures/re-openings and recreation program changes due to inclement weather should subscribe to the respective newsfeed at www.burlington.ca/subscribe and follow the City on Facebook and/or Twitter.During a Snow Event, road clearing updates will be sent to Snow Control Update subscribers at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.SNOW PLOW TRACKEROur Plow Tracker application is active and available at burlington.focus511.com. The tracker provides close to real-time snow clearing updates using GPS technology to track the progress of City’s plows as they clear roads during a Snow Event.When plows pass over a road, the colour of the road on the map changes to indicate a plow is operating in the area. As the clean-up continues, roads throughout the city will change colour until all plowing is complete.DRIVEWAY WINDROW SNOW REMOVAL PROGRAMRegistration for the Driveway Windrow Snow Removal Program is now closed with 200 participants. If you need assistance with plowing your driveway, please connect with your neighbours. We have heard wonderful and heart-warming stories of community members helping out their neighbours with snow-clearing, particularly seniors and those with disabilities.COMMUNITY MAILBOXESRegarding community mailboxes, please note that the City of Burlington does not provide maintenance services at pre-existing or new community mailbox locations. Canada Post is responsible for clearing snow at the mailbox and any dedicated walkways. Any concerns or inquiries should be sent through Canada Post’s customer service line at 1-866-607-6301.SALTING & SIDEWALK PLOWINGThe City clears sidewalks on municipal property as part of our snow-clearing efforts. Sidewalk-clearing begins after snow accumulates in excess of 5 cm (2 in.) and only after roads are cleared. Sidewalks on primary and secondary roads are plowed first, followed by residential roads and designated pathways. Generally, sidewalk clearing is completed within 48 hours after the snow has stopped falling; however, it may take 72 hours or more to clear all sidewalks during heavy snowfalls events or back-to-back snowfalls.It is also important to note that sidewalks are not cleared to bare pavement condition. Bare concrete can only be achieved through the use of salt and that comes with significant cost and environmental implications. Sand or salt is applied only on primary and secondary routes, and only when they are extremely slippery.The City certainly appreciates it if residents clear and/or salt the sidewalk in front of their homes, especially when heavy snow fall is received and crews take longer to get to the sidewalks.For any winter related concern, please don’t hesitate to contact the Roads, Parks & Forestry Department directly through Service Burlington at 905-335-7777 or via email at city@burlington.ca -- the City will inspect and do what we can to improve conditions.

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RELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Dec. 12, 2022 – Can the City of Burlington Help with my Neighbourhood Project Idea?
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Dec. 5, 2022 – What is the City of Burlington Doing About Bill 23?
• Mayor’s Mailbag – November 2022 Roundup – Plains Road Protected Bikeway Project & What to do with Fallen Leaves
• Mayor’s Mailbag – October 2022 Roundup – Bateman Site Update & Deterring Feeding of Wildlife
• Mayor’s Mailbag – September 2022 Roundup – Aggressive Coyotes & Bus Stop Pads Upgrades
• Mayor’s Mailbag – August 2022 Roundup – City Development Projects Webpage, Pickleball, & Tobyn Park Condo Update
• Mayor’s Mailbag – July 2022 Roundup – Millcroft OLT Appeal, Public EV Charging Stations, & Burlington Canal Piers
• Mayor’s Mailbag – June 2022 Roundup – Central High School Site; 535-551 Brant St. Development; & Mountainside Pool Reopening
• Mayor’s Mailbag – May 2022 Roundup – Twin City Agreements; LaSalle Park Community Marina; & Hydro Companies Removing Vegetation
• Mayor’s Mailbag – April 2022 Roundup – Support for Ukrainian Refugees; Burlington Taking on Climate Change
• Mayor’s Mailbag – March 2022 Roundup – Private Tree Bylaw, Masks, & Accessible Parking in Older Buildings
• Mayor’s Mailbag – February 2022 Roundup – Virtual Meeting Participation, Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund, & Accommodating Growth in Halton
• Mayor’s Mailbag – January 2022 Roundup – Parks’ Upgrades, Windrows When Snow Clearing