Spring maintenance is in full swing
Pothole repairs, street sweeping, litter collection and more are underway
You may have noticed the City of Vaughan’s Public Works crews out in the community filling potholes, picking up litter and sweeping streets. These dedicated professionals are working around the clock to ensure Vaughan’s public spaces are kept beautiful for your enjoyment.
Here is an update on the City’s spring maintenance operations:
Litter cleanup
The City’s spring-cleaning blitz began in March with crews collecting litter from Vaughan’s parks and open spaces such as paths and trails. Madvac – the litter collection vacuum – will make a return to City sidewalks next week to collect litter and debris. An additional three machines have been added to the roster this season – look out for Madvac coming to an area near you! This innovation is another way Public Works staff are enhancing and expanding resources to stay on top of litter.
Shrubs, flowers and more
Shrub bed planting and maintenance (pruning, mulching, weeding, litter cleanup and watering) will take place regularly throughout the season. Starting on Monday, May 29 until mid-June, a total of 750 hanging baskets and 900 planters will be installed across the city.
Street sweeping and road maintenance
The City's street-sweeping program began earlier this month. A full rotation across the city takes approximately eight to 10 weeks to complete, depending on weather conditions. Street sweeping will continue throughout the summer and into the fall. This process prevents unwanted materials from flowing into stormwater drains, river pollution, sewer backups and road flooding. Approximately 360 kilometres (161 miles) of street sweeping has been completed since starting this month.
You can help support street-sweeping operators by following these guidelines:
- Do not park vehicles on the road.
- Do not blow or rake leaves or grass clippings onto the roadway.
- Ensure vehicles do not overhang onto the road.
- Keep basketball or hockey nets off the road and away from the edge of the curb.
- Keep waste materials off the road.
Boulevards
The City maintains municipally-owned boulevards along roadways that are not in front of or adjacent to private property. Maintenance of boulevards on private property is the landowner's responsibility. Boulevard maintenance includes regular grass cutting and removal of debris and leaves. Approximately 4,750 kilograms (10,471 pounds) of litter and illegal dumping have already been removed so far this year from City boulevards and right-of-way.
Potholes
Throughout the year, staff perform routine patrols across the City’s 2,200 lane-kilometres to help keep Vaughan’s roads in good condition. To date, City crews have repaired approximately 1,256 potholes. The City also inspects more than 1,200 lane-kilometres of sidewalks annually for any defects and will schedule repairs – this work is ongoing throughout the spring and summer months.
Parks and open spaces
Next week, the City will begin grass cutting in parks and open spaces next week for a total of 13 rotations, each running for two weeks. As dandelion season approaches, the City is actively cutting grass in parks, boulevards, sports fields and other green spaces to keep dandelions at a minimum. Even with regular cuts, areas may appear unkempt as weeds grow faster than grass. To protect the environment, the City implemented a Pesticide By-law (PDF) to regulate the use of herbicides to control weeds, such as dandelions, on public and private property. For more information, visit the City’s Grass Cutting and Weeds webpage.
Water maintenance
In April, the City began its annual inspection of fire hydrants and continues to flush watermains and cycle valves to keep pipes clean, clear and operational. Staff have inspected 604 fire hydrants so far. The City has also attended water shut-off and turn-on requests, which increase during the spring and summer months. Non-emergency water shut-off and turn-on requests can be made online and must be submitted four to six weeks before the service is required.
Here’s how you can help our spring maintenance operations run smoothy:
- Put waste in its place: while outside, place your waste in the nearest garbage, recycling or organics bin. Be sure to use the right one!
- Bag it and bin it: when walking outside with your pets, clean up after them and use the waste bins provided. If the bins are full, take your garbage and pet waste home. It belongs in the green bin at home or waste bins out in the community. As a reminder, you must pick up after your pet. The fine for failing to do so is $300. To report pet waste on public property, contact the City at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca.
- Request repair and maintenance services online through Service Vaughan, including:
Once a ticket has been created, staff will respond to each request in priority sequence.
To learn more about the City’s spring operations, visit vaughan.ca/seasonal.
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