Substantive Changes To Ontario's Highway Minimum Maintenance Standards Now In Effect

As of May 3, 2018, substantive changes were made to the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, O Reg 239/02 and the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Highways in the City of Toronto, O Reg 612/06. The most notable changes are:

1. The introduction of winter maintenance standards for bicycle lanes;
2. The introduction of winter maintenance standards, including patrol obligations, for sidewalks;
3. The ability for municipalities to declare a "significant weather event" with implications for winter maintenance on roadways, bicycle lanes and sidewalks during the duration of the event; and
4. Inspection standards for areas "adjacent to sidewalks."

Each of these changes are detailed below.