Toronto pedestrians are feeling frosty over sidewalks blocked with piles of snow and wondering why it’s taking so long to clear them up.
Canada’s largest city was hit hard by two consecutive snowstorms last week bringing 50 to 55 centimetres of snow.
Earlier this week, Toronto officials announced that it will take up to three weeks to clear up snow.
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The storms’ aftermath has left some side streets and sidewalks unwalkable.
Now Toronto spoke to pedestrians in the city about how the unplowed sidewalks have affected them.
“It seems like nobody cares,” one woman said.
“For people with limited mobility, they’re not going anywhere. Slip and sliding, and falling everywhere,” another walker mentioned.
Meanwhile, online users are sharing their frustrations on the city’s efforts thus far, with some calling the city’s job “embarrassing” and “wild.”
“It’s so pathetic. I use a wheelchair and didn’t leave my house for 4 days. Finally, I had something to pick up nearby. I had to ride on the road because I got stuck in the middle of the sidewalk twice in a block. I’m so disappointed in this city,” a user on Reddit wrote.
“So many people end up with no choice but to walk on the side of the road because of this. It’s dangerous, especially in these conditions,” another person commented.
“I nearly fell over so many times, it’s absolute murder on my knees. If I was in a wheelchair, it would be impossible. I don’t understand why this city and everyone in it refuses to make it more accessible. No one ever thinks of people with disabilities and it shows,” someone else commented.
Toronto-St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow even took to X about the treacherous sidewalks. In a letter to Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, he wrote that residents are being significantly impacted by the snow.
“After the recent major snowfall, while some patience is reasonably expected given the enormous volume of accumulation, I’ve heard from residents from across Toronto that far too often plows would shove back large piles of snow back onto sidewalks that residents had just cleared themselves – leaving too many people unable to reach appointments, access public transit, walk their kids to school or safely walk around their neighbourhood,” Matlow said.
“This has been especially impactful to people with disabilities and other mobility challenges,” Matlow added.
Toronto is a winter city. When it snows, our sidewalks need to be safe and accessible. The TTC needs to be operational. And our city needs to work. On behalf of residents, here are some requests I’m taking action on: pic.twitter.com/Q0Av1h5KKf
— Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) February 18, 2025
PEDESTRIANS ARE MOST VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
Adam Cohoon and Pamela Gough from Walk Toronto, a pedestrian advocacy group that prioritizes pedestrian safety, spoke to Now Toronto about the city’s efforts to clean up the snow for a safe walk.
Cohoon, a wheelchair user, has been unable to leave his home due to impassable snow conditions in his neighbourhood.
He is homebound and working virtually, unable to access essential services like the supermarket.
With the provincial election coming up on Feb. 27, he’s also concerned about voting. He suggests that the city should request additional resources to improve snow clearing during elections to ensure equitable access. He applied for a mail-in ballot due to the inadequate snow removal, while he’s still hoping that the roads will be clear for him to vote once the election occurs.
“If a province wants to make sure this is actually a fair and equitable election then you should be offering extra resources to the city of Toronto,” Cohoon said.
Meanwhile, Gough expressed concern about where Toronto is heading when it comes to prioritizing pedestrian safety.
“In the aftermath of heavy snow like the one that we have just had, we as pedestrians, are the most vulnerable of all road users and often the ones that have to deal with the streets not being cleared for us as quickly as they should be,” Gough said.
LATEST UPDATE FROM THE CITY
In a press conference today, Gray was joined by Vincent Sferrazza, director of transportation services, to speak on updates on the snow removal operations taking place in the city.
“Our priority for snow removal are main street sidewalks and pedestrian signals, transit stops, hospital and emergency service stations, school loading zones and roads with limited space for snow storage, where excess snow really creates a problem for sidewalks and for the local roads themselves,” Gray said.
“By prioritizing these locations, we will help to ensure safety and accessibility for the most vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, people with disabilities, students and transit riders, as well as maintaining access for first responders,” Gray continued.
Gray noted that crews are working hard to make sure that snow is removed from areas with little road allowance like narrow streets, where the snow is piled up, in order for local traffic to continue moving.
According to Gray, the problem is worsened by snow being displaced when people cross the street, shovel their homes and businesses, and the city’s limited capacity to store excess snow.
She mentioned that all sidewalks have been cleared at some point, but snow keeps coming back on the sidewalk as a continual process.
Gray hopes that since the city has shifted to snow removal, that clearing the sidewalks will be more effective once completed.
The city recommends calling 311 service requests when residents need help with snow clean-up. For more updates about the city’s snow removal efforts, visit www.toronto.ca/snow.
