Toronto-area continues winter storm clean-up. Here’s everything still disrupted on Tuesday
Several trucks and cars remain stuck in mounds of snow, some transit services continue to face disruption and schools are pivoting their plans in the aftermath of Toronto’s largest snowstorm in years.
Toronto Mayor John Tory declared a “major snowstorm condition” after the blizzard struck southern Ontario on Tuesday, saying it would take at least 72 hours clear the snowy city.
Other parts of the Greater Toronto Area are also struggling with their own clear-up on Tuesday following the dramatic storm.
CTV News Toronto has compiled a list of all the ongoing disruptions in Toronto and across the GTA.
TRANSIT:
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) reported on Tuesday that all its bus and streetcar routes are affected by snow-covered roadways, and that all routes are delayed by at least two hours until the end of service.
TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said Tuesday that about 300 or 400 buses are still stuck in the snow around Toronto and the TTC is still contending with issues across the subway system.
“The roads are still icy and slippery. Surface vehicles are operating to conditions, that includes streetcars that may have to deal with blocked tracks,” Green said.
There is currently no service between St. George and Sheppard West stations on Line 1 and between Woodbine and Kennedy stations on Line 2. The Scarborough RT is shut down this morning and shuttle buses are supplementing service.
GO Transit, which connects the Greater Toronto Area, announced on Tuesday that its service will be reduced for the day to ensure it can “provide safe, reliable buses and trains” as the snowstorm clean-up continues. It asks that people check for updates before leaving home.
ROADWAYS:
While most major highways and roadways are open and brief closures yesterday, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CP24 on Tuesday morning that traffic is still snarled on many busy highways across the GTA this morning, including the 401.
He asked residents in the region to stay home if they can, and that many trucks and cars remain stuck in mounds of snow. He added that there are still 90 outstanding calls that his department still needs to respond to.
The City of Toronto says residents can expect to wait for 24 to more than 36 hours for neighbourhood roads to be plowed. The City of Toronto says it has 600 snow plows, 300 sidewalk plows, 200 salt trucks and 1,500 personnel ready to tackle winter conditions.
PARKING
The City of Toronto has stated that it prohibits parking on designated snow routes for 72 hours, at the risk of fines or towing in order to allow snowplows to clear the roads on Tuesday.
AIRPORT
Toronto International Pearson Airport warned travellers that Monday’s storm may still affect flights on Tuesday, and asked that people check their flight status before leaving for the airport. The airport stated that nearly 20 per cent of departures and over 24 per cent of arrivals have been cancelled as of Tuesday morning. On its website, numerous flights appear to be delayed and cancelled.
SCHOOLS:
Some schools across the GTA have declared snow days, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, while others have pivoted to remote learning.
TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said it is not yet clear if students will return to the classroom on Wednesday, saying that officials are "taking it a day at a time."
"That's something we will consider later on today. We'll get an update on road clearing.. there are significant snow amounts still out there," he said. "We are hoping that with plows out throughout today, the sun is shining, that we should be able to dig out in time to return to in-person learning tomorrow.”
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