Public Works

Gravel roads require routine grading in order to keep the surface in good condition.  Grading helps rid gravel roads from potholes, reinstates proper grade for drainage and redistributes the gravel for longevity.  Gravel roads are resurfaced in accordance with the asset management plan.  

Storm sewers, catchbasins and roadside ditches help drain excess water from roads in the Township of Scugog.

Roadside ditches - Open ditches and culverts collect and carry stormwater to the outfall.

Roadside ditches perform four necessary functions:

• Drain water from the road base and sub grade
• Carry collected water to an appropriate outlet
• Stop uncollected water coming from outside the road allowance from getting on the road
• Assist in snow clearing operations by providing snow storage below the elevation of the road

Storm Sewers - In urban areas where there are curbs and gutters along the road, stormwater is usually collected in catchbasins. The catchbasins take it to the outfall through an underground storm sewer system. Maintenance holes allow for access to the underground pipes.

Patching pot holes

Pavements often develop potholes during winter and spring thaw conditions, when it is difficult to obtain quality patching materials.

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.

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. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Sidewalk replacement work involves the replacement of the miscellaneous sidewalk bays across the Township.  These bays are typically identified through the Townships yearly sidewalk inspection program.  The scope of this work includes sidewalk bays that are damaged, heaved or that have settled.  On average 1 to 3 sidewalk bays may be replaced per location, however more may be necessary depending on the existing conditions.  Minor damage or visual aesthetics do not warrant the replacement of a sidewalk bay.

Sidewalk maintenance includes utilizing multiple treatment options including jacking, cutting, and patching. 

Sidewalk reinstatements are happening across the Township.  If your driveway runs over a sidewalk or has sidewalks on either side but not through, we are actively reinstating these.  If you plan to redo your driveway in the next 2 years please get in touch with us to inspect prior to you having the work done.  If you have any questions about this process, please get in touch with the Public Works Department.

The Township of Scugog schedules mechanical sweeping and flushing of the Downtown Port Perry streets. 

View a map of the street sweeping areas.

Street sweeping begins at 5:00 a.m. and continues until completed. Parking on these streets is restricted during scheduled sweeping.

Generally, downtown roads are swept first, followed by cycling infrastructure and then residential streets. The sweeping operations are expected to be completed by the end of May of each year, weather permitting.

Street sweeping is carried out in the spring to remove winter sand.  Commencement varies depending on weather conditions.  All ice across the Township must be melted and roads must not be too wet since it is very difficult if not impossible to sweep saturated and frozen material.  

Summer street sweeping begins at 6:30 a.m. and continues until completed. Parking on these streets is restricted during scheduled sweeping. Summer sweeping map

The Township of Scugog sprays all of the gravel surface roads with dust suppressant to aid in keeping the dust down.  Each gravel road will get one full application of dust suppressant.  If budget allows, certain high traffic gravel roads may get a second coat. 

Magnesium chloride is used for dust control on gravel roads. Attracting moisture from the atmosphere helps form a crust and hold the road fines into the aggregate surface. The performance depends on temperature, relative humidity, and traffic.

The Township is responsible for the following roadside maintenance.  

• picking up of garbage and debris
• cutting roadside grass
• cleaning up brush
• trimming trees dangerously hanging over the road
• Picking up and disposing of road kill - If the animal in question is a cat or a dog please contact Scugog Animal Control Centre at 905-985-9547 - they will pick them up and scan for a chip to find the owner.  

Stormwater Management Ponds (SWMPs) are facilities designed to collect runoff from the local storm sewer system following either a rainfall or snowmelt event, or activities such as watering lawns and washing cars. SWMPs are built to temporarily hold this water, provide treatment to remove the pollutants, sediment, and then slowly release it back into our waterways. The Township of Scugog maintains 12 stormwater management ponds.

What is stormwater?

• In a natural environment, rain and melted snow fall onto soft surfaces such a grass and infiltrate into the ground. In urbanized areas, rain and melted snow fall onto hard surfaces like roads, driveways and sidewalks, roofs, and continue to travel without infiltrating. This can cause flooding.
• As the rain and melted snow flows across these hard surfaces it collects oil, dirt, and pollutants. The rainwater mixed with pollutants then flows into our storm sewers, stormwater management ponds, rivers, and natural waterways. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) defines this mixture of rainwater and pollutants as municipal sewage.
• A stormwater management pond is man-made infrastructure built to collect and treat rainfall and surface water runoff, as required by MECP legislation. The ponds are usually found in neighbourhoods, where stormwater can easily be collected and treated.  

• During rainfall, stormwater flows into the pond and fills the basin of the pond. As the pond fills, dirt, sediment, and pollutants settle down to the bottom. When the pond fills to its capacity, the water spills out at a controlled rate to reduce flooding and erosion to local waterways. The pollutants and sediment are left behind in the pond. Aquatic plants in the pond help with treating pollutants and plants around the edges of the pond help to stabilize banks and shade the water.

Stormwater Management Ponds are not for recreation.

SWMPs were not designed or intended for recreational use. For the health and safety of the public several activities are prohibited, including but not limited to: swimming or wading, skating, boating, and fishing.

Why are stormwater management ponds unsafe for winter recreation?

• These ponds collect water runoff from the roads. The runoff can contain salt and other materials that impact the water's ability to freeze.
• Pipes constantly move water in and out of stormwater ponds, which can make water levels change frequently.
• The water below the ice is constantly flowing.
• The weather can change quickly here in Southern Ontario. Temperature, sun, wind and precipitation can all change quickly, causing weak spots in the ice.

For more information on Winter maintenance please visit our Winter Maintenance page

FAQ's about the NEW SPEED LIMITS 

About Speed Limits 

Speed limits are set based on appropriate driving speeds under good conditions. Drivers should slow down when there are pedestrians and/or cyclists present, when visibility is poor, during bad weather (eg. rain, fog, snow, ice), in heavy traffic, where warning signs indicate, etc. Studies have shown that when accidents occur, there is a direct correlation between the severity of injuries and the speed of vehicles. 

Township Wide Speed Limit Reductions are Underway 

To improve safety for all road users (vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, etc.), new speed limit signs are being installed for roads across the Township.  Scugog is implementing a new policy that reduces speed limits on all rural roads from 80 km/hr to 60 km/hr, collector roads in urban areas, such as Old Simcoe Road and Union Avenue, will remain at 50 km/hr and local roads in Port Perry and hamlets will be reduced to 40 km/hr.  Speed limits in school zones will remain at 40 km/hr. 

Based on the new Establishing Speed Limits on Township Roads Policy, the approved default speed limits were set as follows:

These lower speed limits will apply only to Township roads and will not apply to Regional roads (Simcoe Street, Reach Street, Island Road, etc.) or Provincial highways such as Highway 7A or Highway 12. 

The Township has hired a contractor to install signs on all rural roads and at gateway points to all urban areas.  Approximately 650 signs will be installed in total by July 2022.  Each sign will be inspected following installation to ensure that it is visible, stable and is installed in the correct location. 

The new policy Establishing Speed Limits on Township Roads Policy was approved by Council following a Township Wide Speed Limit Review prepared by staff in October 2020 and is part of several initiatives being undertaken by the Township to improve safety, reduce speeding and reduce speed related collisions.

Other road safety initiatives include:

• Creating Community Safety Zones in front of all elementary schools where fines for traffic infractions are increased
• Using mobile speed display boards across the Township to help slow drivers and collect data to be used for targeted enforcement
• Free lawn signs aimed at reducing speeds
• 3 new pedestrian crossing in Greenbank and Port Perry
• New Traffic Calming Policy

Contact Information 

For more information on speed limits or to request changes to speed limits on individual roads, please contact Public Works and Infrastructure services at works@scugog.ca or 905-985-7346 Ext. 112.

One of the most common requests the Township receives is for stop signs at intersections.  While all-way stops can be affective in some cases, they are usually not recommended to address speeding or traffic volumes.

Stop sign locations should be based on recommendations from traffic engineering studies that consider such things as traffic volumes, sightlines and collision history. As well, stop signs should not be installed within 250 metres (820 feet) of other stop signs or traffic signals.

Installing unwarranted stop signs can have negative impacts, including:

• Slowing down emergency services (police, ambulance and fire vehicles must stop at stop signs),
• Drivers ignoring stop signs because there are so many,
• Providing a false sense of security to pedestrians as drivers may roll through the intersection or fail to stop,
• Drivers speeding up to make up for lost time,
• Increasing air pollution,
• Increasing gas usage, and
• Frustrating drivers.

Contact Information

For more information on stop signs or to request a stop sign, please contact Public Works and Infrastructure services at works@scugog.ca or 905-985-7346 Ext. 112.

Traffic Calming Initiatives

Keeping Scugog streets safe is a priority for the Township and using measures to “calm” the traffic is one way of achieving this.

Township of Scugog Council and staff receive frequent requests for traffic calming measures.  To improve safety for all road users (drivers, cyclists and pedestrians), the Township has undertaken several initiatives to reduce speeding and speed related collisions on Township roads.

Measures completed over the past year include:

• Approval of a new Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol that provides a methodology for evaluating and prioritizing traffic calming locations.
• Establishment of Community Safety Zones adjacent to all elementary schools which allow police to increase fines for traffic infractions.
• Usage of two mobile speed display boards at 16 locations across the Township to reduce speeds and provide data for DRPS to target excessive speeders on the road.
• Provision of 200 free lawn signs asking drivers to “Please Slow Down”. 
• Identification of locations for new speed limit signs and award of the contract for sign installations.

2022 traffic calming initiatives include:

• Installation of the new, reduced speed limit signs across the Township.
• New Pedestrian Crossover at the intersection of Old Simcoe Road and Doctor Archer Drive in Port Perry.
• New Pedestrian Crossover at the intersection of Simcoe Street and Paxton Street in Port Perry.
  • New Pedestrian Signals at the intersection of Highway 7/12 and Cragg Road in Greenbank.
  • Additional free lawn signs to ask drivers to “Please Slow Down”. Signs are available at the municipal office.
  • Continued use of mobile speed display boards at locations across the Township.
  • Carrying out of the new Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol.

Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol

The Township of Scugog has adopted a Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol which identifies a process to determine when traffic calming may be warranted and to select the most appropriate treatment to apply.

Growth in traffic volumes and heightened resident concerns about excessive speeding, traffic infiltration/shortcutting, and other undesirable driver behaviour has led to an increase in requests for traffic calming interventions on neighbourhood streets in the municipality. Unfortunately, the Township is unable to accommodate all requests within current resources, nor are all locations suitable for traffic calming. To provide a transparent, fair, and standardized process for addressing all traffic calming requests submitted for review, the Township has developed this protocol, which includes a: 

• Process for receiving, evaluating, and responding to citizen requests for traffic calming;
• Methodology and evaluation criteria to determine if traffic calming is appropriate for a given street and prioritize locations being considered for measures; and
• List of traffic calming measures (the “toolbox”) the Township will consider implementing on streets in Scugog. 

Only roads that meet the following minimum criteria will be considered for traffic calming:

• Speed limit ≤50 km/hr
• Segment length ≥ 150 m
• Operating speed ≥ 5 km/hr above speed limit for local roads and ≥ 10 km/hr above speed limit for collector or arterial roads
• Shortcutting traffic > 30% of the traffic volume for local roads or > 60% for collector or arterial roads
• Located within a settlement area as defined by the Official Plan

Locations meeting this criteria will then be prioritized based on: collision history, operating speed, shortcutting traffic, total traffic volume, pedestrian generators, sidewalks, cycling facilities and residents support. 

To determine resident support, Neighbourhood Surveys will be undertaken. To proceed a minimum survey response rate of 25% is required with a minimum of 51% of respondents in favour of pursuing a Traffic Calming Plan. 

After the Neighbourhood Surveys are completed, staff will develop traffic calming plans in consultation with residents and stakeholders. The conceptual plans will then be brought to Council for approval and if approved, trial traffic calming measures will be installed. Staff will then monitor and evaluate the traffic calming measures to determine whether they are effective. If the measures are successful, then a capital budget will be established for consideration during the annual capital budget process for the installation of permanent solutions.

Examples of Traffic Calming

There are many methods of traffic calming. Some of the most common types of traffic calming measures are:

• Community Safety Zones – where speed fines are doubled
• Speed display boards
• Lane narrowing (physical or with line painting)
• Speed cushions
• Speed humps and tables
• Raised crosswalks and intersections
• In-road bollards
• On-street parking
• Traffic circles, traffic buttons and roundabouts
• Curb extensions
• Raised median islands
• Textured crosswalks
• Targeted enforcement
• Lawn signs requesting drivers to slow down

Stop signs are generally not recommended as a traffic calming measure.  See Stop Signs for more information on this.

Timelines

Responses to traffic calming requests are typically completed within 30 days of receipt.

The highest scoring locations that meet the required support rate will typically be implemented within 6 to 12 months. 

Locations lower on the prioritization list will be considered in future years or at the time that other road construction is occurring.

Contact Information

Fill out the form to request traffic calming at a specific location. For more information on traffic calming please contact Public Works and Infrastructure services at works@scugog.ca or 905-985-7346 Ext. 112.

• Fees and Charges By-Law
• Road occupancy permits
• Municipal consent
• Entrance permits