Roads and Traffic

Cycling Safety

Cycling is a fun, healthy, and eco-friendly way to get around, but it's important to stay safe while sharing the road or trail with others. Whether you're commuting, exercising, or riding for leisure, following a few key safety practices can help prevent accidents and keep your ride enjoyable.

Top Cycling Safety Tips:

  1. Wear a Helmet
    Always wear a properly fitted helmet to protect your head in case of a fall or collision. In Ontario, it's the law for anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bike, but riders of all ages are encouraged to wear one. It could save your life.
  2. Be Visible
    Wear bright or reflective clothing, especially at dawn, dusk, or night, add reflectors to your bike and use front and rear bike lights.
  3. Follow the Rules of the Road
    Obey traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. Ride in the same direction as traffic and signal your turns.
  4. Use Bike Lanes When Available
    Stick to designated bike lanes or paths, when possible, for added safety and predictability.
  5. Stay Alert and Avoid Distractions
    Keep both hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the road. Avoid using headphones or mobile devices while riding.
  6. Check Your Bike Regularly
    Before each ride, inspect your tires, brakes, lights, and gears to ensure everything is working properly.
  7. Ride Predictably
    Don’t weave between cars or make sudden moves. Ride in a straight line and communicate your intentions clearly.
  8. Watch for Car Doors
    Stay alert for parked cars and the potential for doors opening suddenly into your path.
  9. Be Cautious at Intersections
    Slow down, make eye contact with drivers, and be extra careful when crossing intersections.
  10. Educate Young Riders
    Teach children basic traffic rules and supervise them until they are confident and experienced enough to ride alone.

E-Scooter Safety

E-scooters are a convenient and eco-friendly way to travel short distances, but they must be used responsibly to ensure the safety of both riders and pedestrians. It’s important to understand local rules and ride with caution, especially since e-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks. Staying informed and alert can help prevent injuries and keep our streets safe for everyone.

Top E-Scooter Safety Tips:

  1. Stay Off Sidewalks
    E-scooters must be operated on roads, bike lanes, or multi-use paths where permitted and not on sidewalks.
  2. Wear a Helmet
    Helmets are strongly recommended for all riders and required for anyone under the age of 18.
  3. Follow the Rules of the Road
    Obey all traffic signals, signs, and lane markings. Ride in the same direction as traffic.
  4. Ride Solo
    Never carry passengers on an e-scooter. They’re designed for one person only.
  5. Be Visible
    Use front and rear lights if riding in low light or at night. Wear bright or reflective clothing to increase visibility.
  6. Stay Alert
    Watch for cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and road hazards. Avoid using headphones or mobile devices while riding.
  7. Start Slow
    If you're new to e-scooters, take time to practice in a quiet area before entering busier streets.
  8. Park Responsibly
    When you're done riding, park your scooter upright and out of the way—never blocking sidewalks, driveways, or ramps.
  9. Check Local Rules
    Municipal rules can vary. Always check local guidelines before riding an e-scooter in a new area.

Roads and Traffic

As the Town of Aurora grows, we recognize that traffic, pedestrian safety and the safety and maintenance of roads and sidewalks are a priority for our residents. Ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors is always our top concern and we encourage anyone with issues to email Access Aurora.

Locate Markings

These are called locates. Locates indicate what infrastructure is under ground.  Each colour represents a different utility. These includes gas lines, underground cable, water and sewer lines and hydro wires. A flag at this site marks that one of these utilities is underground. The spray paint is the same and used on hard surfaces such as sidewalks and asphalt.

Locates must be done before digging in accordance with the law. This applies to both residents and utility companies.  If you plan on doing any digging on your private property, you can arrange locates by contacting Ontario On-Call.

Not necessarily. Sometimes a larger area needs to be marked with these flags or spray paint so the contractor can see where these lines come and go from underground. If work is going to take place, it will only be in the Town’s right of way and not on your private property. This type of work is necessary to provide you and your community with essential services. Like any infrastructure, sometimes these services need to be repaired or upgraded.

See the chart below to indicate the utility flag or spray paint and what it represents.

Utility Colour Chart for locates

If a utility is working in a large area, they will often distribute letters to the residents and businesses on the upcoming work that is to take place. Sometimes they will post a sign to residents informing them of upcoming work. If the Town is doing work in your neighbourhood, along with written notice, it will always be posted on our construction projects webpage If you see these flags or paint marking, they could have been ordered by Alectra, Enbridge Gas, Rogers, Bell, TelMAX or the Town.

Yes. Any utility company working in the Town is required to restore all work sites to its original condition or better.  If you are concerned that it won’t be restored to its original condition, feel free to take a few pictures before the work starts for your records. This will help should a restoration issue arise.

Locates are valid for at least 60 days from the day the flags are installed, but could be longer. We recommend that if they have been on the Town’s boulevard for 90 days or more, you can remove them. The spray paint is water soluble, will naturally wash away and is safe for the environment.

1.  You can speak to the contractor on site for further details of what is taking place.

2.  If you know which utility is doing the work, you can contact them directly via their customer service number or website.

3. You can check the Town’s Construction Projects webpage to see if any projects are scheduled for your area.

4. Email the Town at roadpermits@aurora.ca and provide your address and a photo of the area of concern and we will investigate it for you.

Road Weather Information System (RWIS)

Image of Road Weather Information System

The Town has installed a new Road Weather Information System (RWIS). RWIS monitors weather and road condition in real time, collecting data such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, road surface temperature and road conditions.

The system helps Town staff make decisions during critical weather events, improving road safety and operational efficiency. RWIS stations also send snapshots of road conditions to provide regular updates for accurate weather forecasting.

The existing RWIS are located at John West Way, north of Wellington Street, and Elderberry Trail, north of Bloomington.

An RWIS, or Road Weather Information System, is a network of weather and pavement sensors installed along roadways to track current weather and road conditions. This system delivers real-time data, enabling better decisions on road maintenance, traffic management, and safety measures.

RWIS gathers a range of data, including air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation type and amount, road surface temperature, road condition (such as wet, dry, or icy), and subsurface temperature.

Transportation agencies use RWIS data to make informed decisions about winter road maintenance, such as deploying snowplows or applying salt. It contributes to weather forecasting models, improving predictions of road weather conditions.

RWIS stations are typically situated in areas susceptible to severe weather or where road safety is crucial, such as bridges, highways, and high-traffic zones. They are often installed in locations where microclimates can lead to significant changes in road conditions.

Aurora has two RWIS stations:
  • John West Way, North of Wellington Street, South of Aurora Town Hall.
  • Elderberry Trail, North of Bloomington.

RWIS provides up-to-date information on road and weather conditions, helping transportation agencies and drivers make better decisions. This reduces the risk of accidents from ice, snow, or fog, leading to safer roads and more efficient use of resources like de-icing agents.

Unlike traditional weather stations that track general atmospheric conditions, RWIS is designed to monitor road-specific weather conditions. It provides detailed data on surface and subsurface temperatures, road conditions, and other factors that directly impact road safety.

No. The RWIS system is used only to track the weather.

No. The information generated from the RWIS stations is only accessible by Town staff and the Towns approved Weather Forecast service provider.

No. The camera takes snapshots at specified periods of time i.e. once per hour. The snapshot images are stored for historical use. No video footage is stored. 

Common Road Questions

Looking for specific information on road construction, road closure permits, pedestrian safety in school zones, traffic studies or sidewalk sweeping? See the navigation on the right hand side of this page. 

For commonly asked questions, see below:

To view a list of local road closures, visit our Road Closures page.

Both the Town of Aurora and York Region look after roads and traffic in Aurora. The Region is primarily responsible for traffic and road maintenance on primary roads, often referred to as major roads. These roads include most of Yonge Street (except for the portion between Orchard Heights and Henderson Drive), Bathurst Street, Wellington Street, St. John’s Sideroad, Leslie Street, Bayview Avenue and Bloomington Avenue. For issues regarding traffic, traffic signals, construction or road maintenance please contact the Region of York. To view a map of all Regional Roads please visit the Region of York online map.

The Town of Aurora Roads Division is responsible for all secondary roads, which includes a section of Yonge Street and most residential roads.

Overall, the Town is responsible for the following:

  • Crossing guards
  • Roads, curbs and guiderails
  • Road excavation permits
  • Street and road signs
  • Town-owned parking lots
  • Winter maintenance
  • Traffic safety and analysis on Town roads

For detailed information on snow plowing and our service standards related to winter maintenance, please visit our Winter Maintenance Page

We encourage all residents to share concerns regarding safety in our community. The Town’s Traffic Analyst regularly conducts studies and provides recommendations to Council to improve pedestrian and road safety on Town roads.

There are multiple ways for you to share your concerns. You can go online to our Traffic Concerns online forum. This online consultation is monitored by the Town’s Traffic Analyst who can provide insights on your concern and you can connect with other community members who may share the same concerns as you. Hotspots and areas of concern will be investigated.

Just want to talk to a human? No problem. We get it. Please contact Access Aurora and ask to speak with the Town’s Traffic Analyst.

Road Watch: ROAD WATCH is a community-driven program that provides citizens with a means to report aggressive or unlawful driving behaviour. Instances of speeding, unsafe lane changes, disobeying traffic lights and running stop signs are some types of behaviours that qualify for a ROAD WATCH submission. Submit an online report to Road Watch

View the Town’s Traffic Calming Policy

Please visit the Road Occupancy Permits page for more details.

No, bins and storage of materials are not permitted on Aurora roadways. 

Contact Us

Town of Aurora
100 John West Way
Aurora ON L4G 6J1
Phone: 905-727-1375 or 905-727-3123
Fax: 905-726-4769

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