The objective of Toronto’s Winter Maintenance Program Review (WMPR) was to compare the winter maintenance services delivered by the City of Toronto to those of other North American Peer Cities; to assess the Level of Service (LOS) and activities for the delivery of winter maintenance services in the City; and to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement in winter maintenance service delivery.
In the first phase, a Comparative and Gap Analysis was undertaken with the goal of soliciting knowledge transfer between participating winter maintenance practitioners and documenting relevant information about winter maintenance services delivered by the City of Toronto and Peer Cities. The Comparative and Gap Analysis was meant to identify where the City of Toronto is comparable, instances where the City’s service levels exceed the others, and instances where it lags behind. The outcome of the Comparative and Gap Analysis identified best practices from Peer Cities which may provide opportunities for the City to improve the efficiency, economy, and service provision of its own winter maintenance program.
The second phase, Public Consultation, of the study gathered views and opinions, and facilitated discussion about the City’s Winter Maintenance services. Opinions were solicited from the City’s residents as well the various other stakeholders such as City representatives, internal agencies and special interest groups.
The third phase, Findings and Reporting, evaluated the study findings and prepared recommendations for best practice implementation in the areas of: Communications, Levels of Service, Service Delivery, Bylaw Improvements, Strategic Alignment, Climate Data and Funding.