Checked October 14, 2026

London winter road and sidewalk services: priorities and reporting

London, Ontario, Canada

London clears high-traffic roads and routes to hospitals and schools before local streets.

Key information

London clears high-traffic roads and routes to hospitals and schools before local streets. Use the snow-service report route for slippery or uncleared areas, and keep parked vehicles out of clearing operations.

On this page

Road priority examples in the city guide

Road priority examples in the city guide
Class	Examples	Relative priority
1	Highbury, Wellington, Exeter, Fanshawe Park Road	Highest
2	Southdale, Oxford, Dundas, Wharncliffe	Main routes
3	Viscount, Dufferin, Colborne cycle track	Next route class
4	Aldersbrook, Doon, Tweedsmuir	Lower class
5	Local streets and some cul-de-sacs	Last class

Sources: Winter maintenance

Key checks at a glance

London winter road and sidewalk services: key checks

Snow standards and conflicting thresholds
The current city page contains inconsistent sidewalk thresholds.
Driveways, sidewalks and parking
A plow pushes road snow toward the boulevard and can leave a driveway windrow.
Anti-icing, sand and routes
Anti-icing is used before a storm to reduce sticking.

Sources: Winter maintenance

Snow standards and conflicting thresholds

The current city page contains inconsistent sidewalk thresholds. Its standards table includes five-centimetre conditions and 48-hour clearing, while later FAQs refer to eight centimetres and an older 2021 improvement. This guide does not select an unverified number as the current trigger. Ask the city for the applicable service standard when reporting.

The page lists local roads at ten centimetres with a 24-hour clearing objective after snowfall. High-priority routes are handled sooner. These are published maintenance objectives, not a guarantee of bare pavement at every moment. Bus stops are cleared after sidewalks using the same equipment.

Sources: Winter maintenance

Driveways, sidewalks and parking

A plow pushes road snow toward the boulevard and can leave a driveway windrow. Maintaining access is the property owner’s responsibility. Moving driveway snow into the street or sidewalk is illegal.

The city clears sidewalks and encourages neighbours to shovel outside their homes for easier walking. Downtown merchants or property owners have a by-law obligation to clear the sidewalk in front of their business. Do not assume every residential property has the same downtown rule.

Avoid street parking during and shortly after snowfall, do not park on sidewalks and respect the overnight parking ban. Bicycle parking maintenance belongs to the unit’s owner.

Sources: Winter maintenance

Anti-icing, sand and routes

Anti-icing is used before a storm to reduce sticking. Salt is focused on significant streets and core pedestrian areas. Sand on local streets is usually concentrated at intersections, curves and hills, not spread along the whole road. Spot sanding can be used on slippery sidewalks.

Salt/sand boxes at some busy crossings, school areas and community centres provide grit pedestrians can spread. Bring a scoop. Cul-de-sacs are last partly because traffic is lower and special equipment may be needed for large snow piles.

Sources: Winter maintenance

Reporting and driveway help

Use the linked service request to report snow not plowed or slippery conditions, giving the road, sidewalk or path location. The city operates a round-the-clock response team, but priority and weather affect the route order.

For help shovelling a laneway, the city directs residents to Snow Angels volunteer matching. Volunteer help is a separate program and does not mean the city clears every driveway.

Sources: Winter maintenance