Spring, Summer & Fall Road & Sidewalk Maintenance

• Causes & Prevention of Sidewalk Damage

  The major causes of sidewalk damage are:

  • uplifting by tree roots
  • vehicles (especially trucks) driving on the sidewalk
  • deterioration due to age

  
  Sidewalks can be kept safe by keeping:

  • all vegetation from overgrowing sidewalks.
  • tree limbs from obstructing sidewalks by making sure they are at least eight feet above sidewalks. See Street Tree Pruning Program
• Report Damaged Sidewalks

  Please report damaged sidewalks to Service Barrie:

  • ServiceBarrie.ca
  • Phone: 705-726-4242
  • Email: ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca
  • Report a problem via the City's mobile app
    connects with ServiceBarrie.ca
• Annual Sidewalk Inspections

  In Ontario, municipalities are required to inspect sidewalks annually according to the Minimum Maintenance Standard O. Reg 239/02. Inspections are performed during the summer, and usually take a few weeks to complete.

• Concrete Replacement Program

  Surface discontinuities (height differences at a joint or crack in the sidewalk) identified through routine annual inspection are repaired as appropriate. This often involves the removal and replacement of the affected sidewalk on a spot repair basis. Due to the extensive nature of the work, the City hires a contractor to support sidewalk maintenance.

  To permit concrete sidewalk removal and replacement, the adjacent surfaces (grass, driveways, and other pavements) within approximately one metre must be temporarily disturbed. All disturbance is contained within the municipal property limits.

  Upon completion, the adjacent surfaces are cleaned up and restored to a condition equal to or better than existing conditions. Driveway surfaces are restored in accordance with the City’s driveway restoration policy. Where the affected sidewalk intersects a driveway, temporary access disruptions are managed to minimize inconvenience as much as possible.

• Maintenance Standards

  All roads within the municipality are required to be maintained in accordance with the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards. The minimum maintenance standard sets out the maximum size (area) and depth that a pothole can be before a repair is required. It also sets out the amount of time that is allowed to pass before the repair must be completed and that varies based on the amount of traffic that occurs on that particular road. The standard ranges from 4 days for heavily travelled roads to 30 days for roads with lesser amounts of traffic.

• ​The Formation of Potholes

  1. Water seeps into cracks in the pavement.
  2. The water builds up and softens the ground under the road.
  3. The water freezes and expands, which pushes the pavement up.
  4. When the water under the pavement dries, a hole is left beneath the road.
  5. The pavement is now weakened. As soon as a car drives over this area, the pavement collapses, leaving behind a pothole.​​
• Preventative Measures

  The City's Annual Asphalt Crack Sealing Program eliminates as many cracks as possible on select roads to prevent the onset of potholes.

  Learn about pavement renewal strategies

• ​​​​Reporti​ng Pothole​s

  We can use your help in identifying locations that require attention so that they can be repaired in a timely manner. Pothole complaints are addressed on a priority and scheduling basis. To report a pothole, please provide location details via one of the following channels. Please include as much detail as possible (a landmark or nearest address) so crews can locate and fill the pothole as quickly as possible.

  • ServiceBarrie.ca
  • Phone: 705-726-4242
  • E-mail: ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca
  • Mobile app 
  • Facebook or X
• Repair Method​​

  Crews often repair isolated potholes with “cold mix” which is a more pliable mix of asphalt that enables it to be shoveled and placed in the hole. This may appear messy compared to hot mix asphalt, but cold mix material becomes more consolidated in a short period of time as traffic helps to compact it to the existing road surface.

  These repairs happen seven days a week. Crews with a blocker truck go out at night as well to tackle busy roads when there is less traffic.

• Damage Claims

  If you have suffered a loss for which you believe the City may be responsible, you can file a claim against the City.

• Source Water Protection Measures

  The spring sweeping schedule adheres to source water protection measures, which include optimization of road salt use and management and implementation of practices to minimize the loss of salt to the environment. Crews prioritize street sweeping in our vulnerable areas by sweeping the roadways in drinking water protection areas, then moving outward. 

• How You Can Help​​

  Reminders about spring street sweeping are issued via X, Facebook, This Week in Barrie, mobile app and City e-news.

  To help us provide the best service possible during street sweeping operations each year, please:

  • do not push sand or leaves into piles on the road as the sweeper cannot pick them up.
  • minimize residential street parking during the program.
  • ensure that basketball nets are not left in the roadway.
• Process

  Sweeping generally consists of a two-part process as follows:

  1. A mechanical sweeper capable of picking up heavy sand deposits and debris makes a pass of the street, and
  2. A second pass of the street with a vacuum sweeper to remove any fine material that may remain.  This may take up to a few days later to occur

  If there are areas missed due to obstructions, crews take note and return at a later time. Concerns re missed areas can be logged through ServiceBarrie.ca or by contacting (705) 726-4242 or ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca.

• Disposal

  Sand

  The sand that is collected from roads during the annual spring street sweeping program is typically disposed of at the landfill.

  In 2016, staff investigated the possibility of recycling sand for winter maintenance. After a thorough screening of the sand collected from roads, staff found that it maintained municipal standards and was suitable for reuse on roads in winter. Recycling sand allows for a cost avoidance of almost half a million dollars and helps extend the life of the landfill.

  The Recycled Street Sweepings program is delayed until further notice until an adequate storage facility can be built. If stored improperly (i.e. outside) the sand becomes wet and clumpy, which clogs the sanders and won’t spread correctly. It needs to be kept dry and stored inside.

  Leaves

  Leaves swept in the fall are relatively clean and brought to the landfill for composting. Leaves left over in the spring are too contaminated with sand and litter and cannot be composted so they are disposed of as waste. 

• Process

  This job is usually done by a special painting truck and a blocker truck that follows behind. The blocker truck has signs to warn drivers to stay away. By the time the blocker truck reaches where the painting truck was, the paint should be dry. Normal latex (water-based) paint used for roadway application usually dries within two minutes. 

• Private Property Claims

  Please follow the signs and warnings to keep your vehicle clean and free of paint. If a driver's vehicle gets damaged by wet paint, the City of Barrie is not responsible for fixing it. Private property claims can be directed to darren.locke@guildelectric.com.

• Line Painting Requests

  If you feel a location was missed during annual line painting, please visit ServiceBarrie.ca to log a service request. Service Barrie can also be reached at 705-726-4242 or ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca.

• Restoration Process & Timelines

  Following the necessary repairs to the City’s underground infrastructure, surfaces are replaced as part of a typical two-step process:

  1. Immediate temporary reinstatement: When underground repairs are made to infrastructure, City staff will temporarily reinstate surface infrastructure to make them safe for the public until final restoration can be made.
  2. Final restoration: City staff will coordinate removal of temporary materials and final restoration with permanent materials in the affected repair location.

  
  To complete final restoration, the City retains a qualified and experienced contractor to perform the work between May and October each year. The City and its contractor strive to complete all outstanding repairs by October of any given calendar year.

  Between late October and May, any new repair locations will be temporarily reinstated and added to the list of locations to receive final restoration during the following construction season.

Frequently Asked Questions

• There was a car parked in front of my residence during street sweeping. Will the City come back?

  The City asks residents to minimize residential street parking, when possible, during this process to ensure best results. City staff will note such obstructions and will return at a later time.

• Can citizens sweep sand onto the road?

  Sand that is deposited on the road during winter maintenance can sometimes be plowed onto driveways and adjacent to the curb. During spring street sweeping,​​ residents can clear debris from this sand and sweep it to the curb for street sweepers to collect as they complete their rounds​​​. Sand should NOT be swept into large piles, but rather spread along the curb line to allow the equipment to collect it. Sand should NOT be placed in yard waste or brought to the landfill for disposal.

• The sweepers left a pile of sand that I swept up on the road. Why?

  Sweepers are designed to sweep only normal build up of sand on the curb edge. Any sand that is swept into a pile by the resident cannot be swept up by the sweeper, as this machine is not capable of doing so. Please leave sand in its normal state, as the sweepers can make the most production out of this.

• The sweeper went by and I’ve been left with a bigger mess than before. Why?

  Sometimes the actual sweeping process is a two part process. The first sweeper that goes by is designed to pick up the bulk of the sand. Following that, another sweeper will pick up the finer sand and do a cleanup pass.

  Another reason could be a result of rain. If the roads become too wet the sand tends to get spread around, appearing to be messy. The City will not sweep in the rain for this very reason, but if the City is commencing sweeping and it starts to rain, the sweeper will come back and re-sweep the area.

• Why wasn't my street swept as part of the City's Street Sweeping Program?

  Unassumed streets within the City of Barrie are not swept by City of Barrie crews; they are the responsibility of the developer. Also, streets that are under guaranteed maintenance through the developer are not swept. If your area is unassumed or under guaranteed maintenance, please call your developer regarding the condition of your street.

• When do sidewalks get swept?

  Sidewalks are not part of the street sweeping program. City sidewalks are typically swept after the last snow event to clear sand. If you feel a sidewalk needs attention, please log a concern via ServiceBarrie.ca or contact (705) 726-4242 or ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca.

• Why are temporary materials used as part of the boulevard/surface restoration?

  Following repairs to underground infrastructure, temporary materials, such as “cold patch” (a more pliable mix) for asphalt surface, are installed to allow the overlying infrastructure to be put back into service immediately, which minimizes disruption. Temperatures between October and May play a factor in the ability to make final restoration possible due to construction practices.

• What if further temporary repairs are needed before the final boulevard/surface restoration?

  Please contact Service Barrie to request any further temporary repairs until final repairs can be completed:

  • ServiceBarrie.ca
  • Phone: 705-726-4242
  • Email: ServiceBarrie@barrie.ca
  • Report a problem via the City's mobile app
    connects with ServiceBarrie.ca
• How much road shoulder does the City maintain?

  While the City of Barrie’s roads are predominantly an “urban” design (as characterized by the presence of curb-and-gutter, catch basins, and storm sewers), a significant subset of the City’s roads are a “rural” design (as characterized by the presence of shoulders and ditches). Altogether, as of 2025, the City’s “rural” roads contain a total of about 140 linear kilometres of road shoulder.

• How do shoulders protect the paved road surface?

  Properly maintained shoulders protect the integrity of the paved road surface by:

  • providing structural support to prevent pavement edge loss and edge cracking
  • promoting positive rain and melt water drainage to protect against soft spot development, deformation, and cracking within the pavement structure