Spring, Summer & Fall Road & Sidewalk Maintenance

Spring Road Maintenance Underway!

The Operations department maintains over 1,600 km of roads and over 600 km of sidewalks throughout Barrie, to ensure safe and enjoyable transportation. This page contains information about:

Curbs

Residents can help the City maintain curbs in several ways. Weeds and other plant growth can damage curbs. Residents are encouraged to remove weeds from joints and cracks in the curbs and gutters and help keep the area clean.

Please report damaged curbs to Service Barrie at 705-726-4242 or ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca, or report a problem via the City's mobile app.

Sidewalks

Every day, thousands of people use Barrie’s sidewalks to exercise, travel, or shop. Broken or damaged sidewalks are not only an eyesore and an inconvenience, they're also a safety hazard. 

Did you know?  The City undertakes sidewalk infill projects based on a prioritisation framework focused on improving safety for residential road users in close proximity to schools, parks, and recreation centres. The framework also focuses on eliminating sidewalks that end mid-block. The Edgehill Drive sidewalk infill project is taking place in 2025.

Potholes

The City maintains approximately 1,600 km of road, and crews regularly patrol streets to identify potholes and other road deficiencies; but potholes can develop daily when temperatures begin to hover around zero degrees. The City does not repair potholes in driveways and private parking lots.

Potholes usually occur in the spring when frost develops and snow is melting, and usually develop on the side of the road. Residents are warned to be careful when going through puddles because they can hide potholes. By reporting potholes​, you can help ensure that they are repaired in a timely manner.

Quick Fact: 14,865 potholes were repaired in 2024.

Street Sweeping

Road Operations staff conduct the annual street sweeping program every spring. Within the downtown Business Improvement Area, streets are swept from spring to late fall.

Spring

Update | May 30, 2025
  • Complete: Arterial/collector roads in zones 1–7, 9 & 13–16, and residential roads in zones 1–7, 15 & 16.
  • In progress: Arterial/collector roads in zones 8 & 11 and residential roads in zones 8 & 9.

View the Street Sweeping Zones Map to determine your zone.

The annual spring street sweeping program cleans all City streets of sand deposited during winter road maintenance, and other debris. Street sweeping usually starts in late April or early May and is usually completed within approximately 10 weeks, weather permitting.

Spring sweeping always starts in the Source Water Protection Area (Zones 1–9)*. Spring street sweeping improves water quality and the environment by removing pollutants that can be transferred to downstream water bodies through urban runoff through the storm sewer system, and also improves the cleanliness and aesthetics of City streets and parking lots.​

*With the number of trees in the north that were damaged by the March 2025 ice storm, the 2025 spring sweeping schedule was adjusted to accommodate the ice storm cleanup. While spring sweeping typically starts in the Source Water Protection Area, staff began sweeping the south end of the city first. 

Fall

Crews sweep all City streets annually in the fall if the weather permits, in an effort to pick up as many leaves as possible before the weather turns too cold. Removing leaves from streets in the fall allows for a more efficient spring sweeping program and reduction of waste. It also reduces instances of blocked and frozen catch basins through the winter.

Line Painting

Each year, roads are painted to make them easier to see, and safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. White lane lines, bike lanes and yellow centre lines painting starts each spring/summer. Intersection stop bars and crosswalks (including crossing locations at Highway 400 ramp terminals, which have their locations determined by the Ministry of Transportation), as well as arrows and symbols, are typically painted in the late spring/early summer through to October.

Line painting typically takes place Sunday to Saturday between 10pm and 7am. Drivers are expected to obey all signs during line painting operations

Update | May 14, 2025

The City’s pavement marking contractor has started the annual painting of white lane lines, bike lanes, yellow centre lines and turning arrows across Barrie. This work began on Tuesday, May 13 and will continue for approximately six weeks. Intersection painting, which includes stop bars and crosswalks, will also take place over the next few months and will run until October.

Boulevard/Surface Restoration

City staff need to repair the City’s underground water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure from time to time. To complete this necessary work, the City’s right-of-way surfaces, such as roadway, driveway, sidewalk, curb, and grass, are removed. This program, also known as the spot repair program, restores the surfaces following the required underground work.

Road Shoulder Maintenance

Shoulders are a critical element of the City’s road network, serving a variety of functions by providing space for emergency stops, a recovery zone for errant vehicles, structural support for the pavement and drainage.

Manufactured aggregate (gravel) is a commonly used option for shouldering material. The gravel used within shoulders must meet strict engineering specifications to ensure it will deliver the necessary performance. Properly maintained shoulders are essential in protecting the integrity of the paved road surface.

Routine shoulder maintenance addresses issues such as edge drop-off, rutting, erosion, irregular slope, and settlement of the subgrade soil. Maintenance procedures for granular shoulders typically involve scarifying, regrading, placing new gravel, and applying compaction. The City routinely carries out inspections to determine where road shoulder maintenance is required, in accordance with Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (O. Reg. 239/02).

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Drawing of the slope of a granular shoulder

Frequently Asked Questions