Public Works and Engineering Department
The Public Works division is responsible for the maintenance of Town
roads, storm sewers, storm water management, streetlights, sidewalks, trails,
paths, parks, sport fields, streetscape and development design standards and
assurance. With more than 300 acres of park land and over 740 kilometers
of roads in Caledon, Public Works’ day-to-day operations are extensive and,
depending on the season, include plowing, grading, sweeping and flushing,
maintenance of storm sewers and catch basins, pavement markings and road signs,
roadside mowing and overall road maintenance.
The Engineering division is responsible for the planning, design and
construction of the Town’s capital infrastructure, reviews development
applications and are responsible for infrastructure planning; this is the
department that helps shape our community with new roads, bridges and
sidewalks.
The Parks division, in addition to maintenance of parks and trails, are also
responsible for the review of park, trail and streetscape development
applications and the planning, design and construction of parks and trails.
Craig Campbell, Director
Ian Neville, Acting Director
General Enquiries: 905.584.2272 x.4328
Public Works
– Louis Zidar, Manager, x.4231
Engineering
& Construction – David
Atkins, Manager, x.4128
Parks &
Trails – Brian Baird, x.4209
public.works@caledon.ca
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES: 1 800
563-7881
Roads & Operations
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Catch basins
Usually located along the edge of the roadway or ditch,
storm water is directed through the steel grate covering the catch basin structure. Please
do not dump waste into these drains. The storm water is then
conveyed from the catch basin through to a sewer system which outlets into
our lakes, streams or rivers. The heavier suspended particles are collected
in the bottom of the catch basin, stopping them from travelling into the
water supply. Catch basins are vacuum cleaned every 1-2 years.
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Culverts
All culverts within the Town’s right-of-way are installed
and maintained by the Town, as stated in Town by-law 93-05. If you require an
additional entrance or a new entrance, or if you require maintenance to your
entrance culvert (i.e., it is plugged with debris, heaved up/caved in, frozen
causing flooding), contact Public Works & Engineering at public.works@caledon.ca or call (905)
584-2272 x.4238.
If you are having your driveway repaved,
consider having a representative from Public Works & Engineering check the
condition of the culvert beforehand.
If you are building a new home, your
building permit can not be issued until the Building & By-Law Enforcement
Department receives confirmation that you have applied for an entrance culvert
from Public Works & Engineering (you must apply in person at Town Hall,
6311 Old Church Road, Caledon East). We may suggest delaying the installation
of the culvert until after the heavy equipment is finished at your building
site. A heavy truck could crush the entrance culvert, requiring you to pay to
have another one installed. Once you have applied for the entrance culvert, a
representative from the Public Works & Engineering Department will check
the location to see if a culvert is required and if the sight lines are
sufficient for safe entry onto the roadway.
The cost for a culvert is $1,255.00 per standard entrance. If you do not
require a culvert for your new entrance, the fee will be refunded with the
exception of a $53.05 inspection fee. For your convenience, cash, cheque,
credit card and Interac payments are accepted at Town Hall.
Ditches
Roadside ditches perform four primary functions:
● They serve to drain water from the road base and sub grade; they are
not intended to drain adjacent properties (but in many cases, they may).
● They carry collected water to a sufficient outlet.
● They stop the uncollected sheet of surface water coming from outside
the road allowance from getting on the road.
● They assist in winter snow clearing operations by providing snow
storage below the elevation of the road surface.
Roadside ditches are not a public utility; property owners do not have absolute
right to outlet to roadside ditches. The Town reserves the right to remove or
restrict any outlets to ditches that cause operational issues or damage to the
drainage system. If you need to direct water to the Town’s ditches, it is
recommended that you contact the Town’s Public Works & Engineering
Department before proceeding.
Standing water is common during the spring and after heavy precipitation
periods. If you have concerns with mosquito breeding in ditches and West Nile
Virus related issues, please contact Peel
Health (905) 799-7700.
Filming on Roadways
A permit is required to stop traffic on a Town of Caledon
road for filming:
● $48.00 for intermittent stoppage of 5 minutes (maximum) or less
● $598.00 per day for complete road closure
Not all roads will be permitted to be closed for filming, as this is dependent
on the function of the road and traffic volumes. Closing of the road may be
restricted to certain times of the day (i.e. not during peak traffic hours).
Applicants must arrange for off-duty police officers to provide traffic control
for any type of closure. For a complete road closure, the applicant must also
provide a signed copy of an agreement from every resident who will be affected
by the closure, which states they have no objection to the closure. If anyone
should object, the road can not be closed. Liability insurance naming the Town
of Caledon as an additional insured for $5,000,000.00 is required prior to the
issuance of a permit. Parking of trailers, motor homes and all vehicles shall
be in accordance with all applicable laws, and in a safe work place practice.
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Fleet
Tenders
The Public Works & Engineering Department has a large fleet for
the operation and maintenance of the Town’s assets. The fleet consists of 76
vehicles ranging from small transportation vehicles to heavy-duty trucks,
off-road motor graders, and 70 various small pieces of equipment.
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The fleet emits approximately 1330 tonnes of carbon dioxide
per year (not including small equipment or the Fire Department fleet). The
Kyoto Accord has a set target of reducing green house gas emissions to 6% below
the 1990 rate by 2012. In keeping with the Town of Caledon’s environmental
policies, the Public Works & Engineering Department has set a much higher
target for our fleet where we will endeavour to reduce the green house gas
emissions by 20% by 2012. What is needed to achieve these goals is a series of
initiatives for short, medium and long-range.
The following are initiatives the Public Works & Engineering
Department is planning for reducing green house gas emissions from our Town’s
fleet:
● the introduction of alternative fuels such as
biodiesel blends, ethanol gasoline blends, compressed natural gas and any other
alternatives that may evolve as technology improves
● the introduction of electric hybrids to the fleet inventory
● right sizing the fleet
● efficient route planning
● anti-idling policies
● drive smart education
Gravel Roads
As of 2005, the Town maintains 139 km of gravel road in 77
different road sections. Gravel roads are more economical to maintain as a hard
surfaced road when the traffic volumes are greater than 400 vehicles per day. Traffic
volume is the main factor in determining which gravel road is priority for hard
surfacing, the higher the traffic volume the higher the priority. Caledon has been aggressive at getting all
of the Town’s higher volume gravel roads hard surfaced and will continue to
hard surface gravel roads depending on funding availability.
Half Load Restrictions
During the spring thaw, most Town roads become too soft to
withstand the weight of a fully loaded truck, no matter how many axles. In an
effort to reduce damage to the roads during spring thaw, the Town has weight
restrictions to half loads (5 tonnes per axle) on all roads in the Town from
March 1st to April 30th. Please assist us in reducing
repairs to our road system by not having heavy deliveries to your property
during this time of year.
Mailboxes
Installing
mailboxes
Mailboxes are the responsibility of the property owner, not the Town of
Caledon. The Town does not clear the snow around mailboxes, nor guarantee any
service levels for rural mail delivery. It is the property owner’s
responsibility to ensure they meet with Canada Post requirements for rural
delivery. Standard mailboxes are replaced if damaged by Town equipment, however,
the Town does not accept responsibility for damages caused by the impact of
snow on a mailbox during our regular snow plow operations. Mailboxes should be
constructed to withstand the impact of snow from snow plow operations.
Parades
A permit for closing a road for the purpose of a parade is
required from the Town of Caledon’s Public Works & Engineering Department
for a fee of $48.00. Applicants must arrange for off-duty police officers to
provide traffic control for the event, and must seek approval from the Town of
Caledon’s Fire & Emergency Services Department. The Public Works &
Engineering Department will deliver barricades to a predetermined location to
block off intersections on the parade route, and the applicant will set them up
prior to the parade commencing. The applicant will be required to provide proof
of liability insurance for $5,000,000.00 naming the Town of Caledon as an
additional insured. If you require a contact for insuring your event, please
contact PAL Insurance Brokers
(1-800-265-8098).
Road
Closure Permit
You may apply for a road closure permit to close a road to
traffic for utility installations or other reasons that require complete
closure of a road. The cost for the permit is $598.00. All road closure permits
require approval of the Town of Caledon Fire & Emergency Services before
Public Works & Engineering will issue the permit. Notification for closure
to school bus transportation, Canada Post, Peel Waste & Recycling, Ontario
Provincial Police and Fire & Emergency Services is the responsibility of
the applicant. All requests for a road closure must be submitted 2 weeks prior
to the event to allow for processing. The applicant will be required to provide
proof of liability insurance for $5,000,000.00 naming the Town of Caledon as an
additional insured.
Road
Closure Permit Application Guidelines
Road
Closure Permit Application
Road Occupancy Permit
By-law
91-86, states no person shall work on the Town’s right-of-way (roadways)
without a permit. The cost for the permit is $238.00. Application for permits can be obtained at the Town Hall, 6311
Old Church Road, Caledon East. The applicant will be required to perform all
work in accordance with the terms of the application (refer
to by-law) and will be required to provide proof of liability insurance
for $5,000,000.00 naming the Town of Caledon as an additional insured.
Road
Occupancy Permit Application Guidelines
Road
Occupancy Permit Application
Rural Roadside Mowing
The Town of Caledon maintains over 600 km of rural roads.
The Public Works & Engineering Department endeavours to maintain the
roadside in a reasonably kept state, as well as respecting the environment. The
Town of Caledon is a pesticide free municipality therefore we do not spray
pesticides on our roadsides. Instead, the Town opts to mow the rural roadsides
and intersections. The standard is a 6 ft swath cut along the rural road edge
twice per year, once in June and the second in July or August, depending on
growth rates.
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Salt & Chloride Management
Chlorides can be detrimental to the environment and infrastructure.
The Town of Caledon has and will continue to take initiatives to effectively
use chlorides and reduce the environmental impacts of their use.
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Sodium Chloride (Salt)
The Town of Caledon utilizes a sand/salt mixture to safely maintain roads
during winter storm conditions. The Public Works & Engineering Department
monitors the application of de-icing agents (Sodium and Calcium Chlorides) and
annually reports to the Federal Ministry of Environment of the particulars of
its use. All efforts are utilized to ensure chlorides are used efficiently and
effectively in dealing with winter road conditions. (link to Salt
Management Plan & Appendixes)
Calcium Chloride
Calcium Chloride is a hydroscopic material that absorbs moisture from the air,
acts as a dust control, aids in compaction of gravel, and increases performance
of the gravel road surface. The Town of Caledon
has undertaken hard surfacing of many of its gravel roads. In 1999 there were
over 300 km of gravel roads in Caledon, and now there is less than 150 km. This
has reduced our dependency on calcium chloride for dust suppressants because of
the hard surfacing of so many gravel roads. The Town will continue to reduce
the amount of gravel roads in the inventory thus reducing our dependency on
calcium chlorides even more.
Sidewalks
The Town of Caledon maintains approximately 100 km of
sidewalks. This includes snow plowing and spreading of sand/deicers to keep our
sidewalks passable. Town by-laws
dictate that parked vehicles cannot impede snow removal operations. They consist of several different types of
materials but mostly concrete and some asphalt. Users of sidewalks must have
regard to all of the surrounding circumstances and are not entitled to expect a
perfectly smooth and even sidewalk.
Signs
The Town of Caledon has approximately 10,000 signs in our
inventory, ranging from mandatory regulatory signs to information signs and
street name signs. To report a missing or damaged sign, or wish to request a
specific sign, contact public.works@caledon.ca
(905) 584-2272 x.4238. Replacement municipal emergency number signs are done
through the Town Hall Service Centre at 6311 Old Church Road, Caledon East.
Stop Signs
The Town endeavours to use stop signs only where good,
engineering practices and approved warrants substantiate their use. They are
not used as speed control devices, or for designating pedestrian crossings. The
Town’s policy for the use of all-way stop controls is as follows:
● Where sight lines at the intersections are deficient
● At locations where high accident frequencies occur
● Where controlling traffic at an intersection is needed
● The distance to the next nearest stop or traffic signal must be greater
than 200 m
● Intersecting roads should be of similar volume demand and operating
characteristics for the use of all-way stop control devices.
Storm Water Management Ponds
Storm
water management ponds are an ecological treatment system to manage the
quantity and sometimes quality of the storm water runoff in developed
communities. They are not designed nor meant for recreational purposes such as
swimming or skating.
PLEASE TELL YOUR CHILDREN THAT THESE PONDS ARE UNSAFE FOR
SKATING AND SWIMMING.
In the winter, the quality and thickness of the ice can
change rapidly due to unpredictable water flows into the ponds.
In the summer, swimming is dangerous because these ponds are
not supervised or checked for water quality and the levels in the ponds can
change quickly. Trails may have been constructed around some ponds for passive
uses such as hiking or walking pleasure. Because these ponds are an ecological
device, please respect the environment such as the flora and fauna, and pick up
after your pets.
Please remember that what you pour down the storm sewer
system goes to our lakes, rivers and streams. Please do not dispose of any
waste materials into the storm sewers, catch basins or ditches. Contrary to
belief, storm water management ponds are not a conducive breeding environment
for mosquitoes known to carry the West Nile Virus.
Street Parties
For a street party, every resident within the proposed road
closure must sign an acknowledgement stating they agree with the purpose of the
street closure for the specified period. If anyone objects to the closure, the
decision to close the road must be taken to Council for approval. Applications
must be submitted 45 days before the proposed closure. The fee for road closures
for street parties is $48.00. The Public Works & Engineering Department
will drop off barricades at a predetermined location for the residents to block
off the road. Alcohol may not be consumed on Town property, and this includes
roads. Road access must be maintained in the event that Fire & Emergency
Services are needed. You must also abide by the Town of Caledon Noise By-Law
xx-xx. As part of the approval, proof of liability insurance for $5,000,000.00
naming the Town of Caledon as an additional insured is required. If you require
a contact for insuring your event, please contact PAL Insurance Brokers (1-800-265-8098).
Street Lights
The Town of Caledon has over 4000 street lights that are
intended to illuminate streets, paths, parks and parking lots. There is no
legislative requirement to illuminate any Town asset, but the Town does have a
standard for development to illuminate assets for public safety reasons. Not
all Town assets meet current standards, and many areas are illuminated to just
the standard of the day. To report an issue or concern with an existing light
(i.e. outages or a light staying on during daylight hours), contact public.works@caledon.ca (905)
584-2272 x.4238.
Street Sweeping
During the winter, the Town uses a mixture of salt for
de-icing snow and ice, and uses sand for abrasives to add traction to the road
surface. As a result, there is residual sand on the road surface during the
spring that is mechanically swept and vacuumed starting in late April. The sweeping
cannot begin until all winter operations are completed. It takes approximately
four weeks to complete every road in Caledon.
Street Trees
The Town of Caledon has over 11,900 trees, where 7,200 are
on the rural roadside and 4,700 are urban roadside. According to methods used
by the Council of Tree & Landscape Appraisers, Caledon’s population of
urban street trees is valued at $5,200,000.00.
Trees, more than ever before, are becoming one of the most important
contributors to the health and beauty of the urban environment. Due to southern
Ontario’s massive urban expansion, climatic changes, forest loss and heightened
pollution rates, the necessity for ecologically sound elements are now being
noted for their harmonizing effects in the community. Trees as well as other
ecological systems, are agents that improve the sustainability of a community,
and because of their many environmental benefits including the absorption of
greenhouse gas emissions, they must be managed professionally.
The Town of Caledon’s Public Works & Engineering Department has two
in-house staff whose primary job is to see to the health of our trees – an
overwhelming task, indeed. The Public Works & Engineering Department
respectfully requests that property owners take stewardship of the trees on the
right of ways (roadways) in front of their properties by watering the trees as
needed. Please avoid using weed trimmers and lawn mowers near the base of the
tree, as damage to the bark can invite infestation and disease. Please do not
remove the mulch that surrounds the base of any tree. This material is
important to the well-being of the tree. If you note any hazardous conditions
or diseased trees, please contact public.works@caledon.ca
(905) 584-2272 x.4238.
The Town of Caledon consists of over 1000 km of roads –
approximately 718 km of those roads are under the jurisdiction of the Town. The
remaining roads fall under the jurisdiction of the Region of Peel or the
Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO).
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Region of Peel Roads
(RR#)
Airport Road – RR#7
Bush Street – RR#11
Charleston Sideroad – RR#24
Dixie Road – RR#4
Forks of Credit Road – RR#11
Highway 50 – RR#50
King Street, King Street West & East – RR#9
Main Street – RR#136
Mayfield Road – RR#14
Mississauga Road (Mayfield Rd to Forks of Credit Rd) – RR#1
Old Church Road (Airport Road to Hwy 50) – RR#22
Olde Base Line Road – RR#12
Queen Street (Bolton) – RR#50
The Gore Road – RR#8
Winston Churchill Blvd (Mayfield Rd to Beech Grove Sideroad) – RR#19
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Ministry of
Transportation (MTO) Roads
Highway # 9
Highway #10 (Hurontario Street)
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Truck Restrictions
All roads under the jurisdiction of the Town of Caledon are
restricted to the use of through truck traffic with the exception of Coleraine
Drive and the Albion Vaughan Road. Trucks may make local deliveries on any Town
roads, provided they take the most direct route from a non-restricted roadway
such as some Regional Roads and Provincial Highways.
Urban Boulevard Mowing
Where a noise attenuation barrier (noise wall or fence) is
not present, residential and industrial property owners are responsible for the
mowing of the public boulevards adjacent to their properties. Sites where a
privacy barrier separates private property from the public boulevards or where
public property fronts the roadway, the Town of Caledon will assume the mowing
of these sites once every 3 weeks.
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Winter Maintenance
The Town
of Caledon provides winter operations, sanding, and plowing on our roads.
Town and contracted equipment patrol, plow, and spread de-icers on our roads
based on the legal responsibility outlined in the Ministry of Transportation
Minimum Maintenance Standards and Highway Traffic Act. Town by-laws dictate
that parked vehicles cannot impede snow removal operations.
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Engineering
Capital Improvements
The Engineering Division has the responsibility of making business decisions to
maintain community 
assets.
Ongoing asset management can extend the life of a facility well past its design
life and proper planning of pre-emptive maintenance is vital to extending the
investment in our infrastructure. The Engineering Division uses advanced
technologies to estimate the life cycle of infrastructure and plan for
pre-emptive maintenance and replacement.
The Engineering Division is also responsible for community design with
new Town parks, roads, trails, sidewalks, streetscape and outdoor recreation
facilities through both the development process and independent capital
projects.
The Public Works & Engineering Department endeavours to
utilize new technologies whenever suitable in rehabilitation and construction
projects, such as recycling of existing materials in the roadways, the use of
modern synthetic materials, etc. The
Town implements lifecycle planning to manage our infrastructure and to optimize
service by considering timely interventions, from preventative maintenance, to
restorative work and finally reconstruction or de-commissioning. Every year
there is infrastructure which has reached a point where it is unable to perform
to reasonable expectations, and is scheduled for rehabilitation or
reconstruction. Primary assets including roads, parks, trails, and bridges are
all assessed for need, and based on a priority rating system that provides Town
Council the information they require to make decisions for funding projects.
Development
Development Standards, Policies and Guidelines
The Town of Caledon Public Works & Engineering Department has
adopted requirements for new landdevelopment as well as Town capital
projects to aid in the uniform design and construction throughout the
Municipality. These Policies and Guidelines must be used by Developers,
Consultants and Contractors when considering development or construction within
the Town of Caledon. These Standards, Policies and Guidelines provide
information on:
Engineering
submission requirements,
Drawing specifications and requirements,
Design requirements for storm sewers, roadways, landscaping, grading, lighting,
noise attenuation erosion and sediment control, etc.
Administration fees, security requirements and reductions
Inspections
Traffic Calming
Construction
Inspections
Preliminary and final acceptances of Town works
This document also provides information on our Standard
Detail Drawings for such items as road cross sections, fencing details, lot
grading, landscaping details. These standard drawings are to be read in
conjunction with the Ontario Provincial Standard Drawings.
These Policies and Guidelines are a “living’ document and it
is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain and check with the Town for
new revisions.
