Toronto hikes fines for blocking streetcars from $200 to $500 during snowstorms. Here’s what you need to know

People attempt to free a car stuck in snow following a heavy snowfall in Toronto, on Thursday, February 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Toronto’s city council has voted to sharply increase the fine for drivers who block streetcars on snow routes, approving a $500 penalty as part of a wider push to strengthen the city’s winter maintenance program.

The move follows last February’s record snowfall, when more snow fell in a single week than the entirety of the previous winter. The storm left sidewalks impassable, roads clogged and snowplows breaking down, prompting Mayor Olivia Chow to admit city staff had “failed” to keep up.

• Chow says city staff ‘failed’ in handling of record Toronto snowstorm

One viral incident showed Torontonians physically pushing a car that had blocked a TTC streetcar — a moment councillors pointed to as evidence the current $200 penalty isn’t working.

The new measures aim to prevent a repeat of last winter’s breakdowns and improve access during major snow events.

What do the enhanced measures look like?

Council approved the changes in a 21–4 vote on Wednesday, with one member absent. Those opposed included Councillors Mike Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Anthony Perruzza, and Michael Thompson.

The motion updates several offences under the city’s traffic bylaw.

Coun. Dianne Saxe, who put forward the increase, argued the current $200 fine isn’t enough to deter drivers.

“$200 is just the cost of a fill up. It clearly isn’t a serious disincentive, so it needs to be higher,” she said.

“You not only block the one hundred people on that streetcar, you also block thousands of people, anyone else on that streetcar line.”

The vote comes after the city faced intense criticism for its response to last winter’s storms.

How bad was last winter?

February alone saw more than 94 centimetres of snow. Many complaints focused on delayed plowing, uncleared sidewalks and roads rendered inaccessible by the sheer volume of snowfall.

City officials later revealed many plows had broken down mid-storm because the wrong machinery was being used. A review of the response led to a series of recommended changes to prevent similar failures in the upcoming season.

As part of Wednesday’s decision, council also requested that Transportation Services and the Chief Technology Officer report back on options for improving public access to real-time winter operations data, including push alerts for snow-clearing schedules and temporary parking restrictions.

Another directive asks the city manager to produce a plan that would require corporate property owners to clear the sidewalks bordering their buildings promptly and at their own expense — an effort aimed at reducing the number of inaccessible pedestrian routes after major storms.

City staff are expected to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in December with further recommendations on winter maintenance improvements for the 2025–26 season.