This winter, the City of Tallinn will increase its snow clearing operations on sidewalks in the Kesklinn and Põhja-Tallinn districts, while maintaining the usual scope in other districts.

Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere noted that given the limited budget, it is more efficient and reasonable to allocate additional snow clearing efforts to the sidewalks in the most heavily used districts. “Many people live, work, and move around in Kesklinn and Põhja-Tallinn. These districts, with their narrow, winding sidewalks, have received less attention in snow removal compared to others,” said Pere.

“If the 2025 budget allows, we plan to extend snow clearing next year to the sidewalks of smaller streets in other districts as well,” added Pere.

The Deputy Mayor also emphasized that sidewalks, particularly in strategic areas such as hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and public transport stops, must be prioritized for snow removal.

“The city’s contractors are on high alert to ensure timely snow and ice removal,” said Elari Udam, Deputy Head of the Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department, responsible for construction and maintenance. “ The additional snow removal covers approximately 60 kilometers, bringing the total length of sidewalks cleared by Kadrioru Park to 120 kilometers Udam added.

Although snow removal is being carried out on a larger scale this year, the city asks drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to be more considerate of each other during the winter season. “It’s clear that we can’t be everywhere at once, so we ask everyone to be mindful of weather conditions, choose appropriate walking or riding speeds, maintain a safe distance, and be patient when traveling. Roads may be slippery, and it takes time to treat icy sidewalks and bike paths. When approaching crosswalks, it’s especially important to make sure vehicles can stop, as icy conditions increase stopping distances,” Udam said.

Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department’s contractors are responsible for clearing the main roads and larger areas. Snow is cleared from smaller streets by local contractors. The city also clears sidewalks next to high-traffic roads, which are essential for pedestrian safety since walking on the road itself is not safe.

A map of snow clearing routes shows which sidewalks will be cleared in both the Kesklinn and Põhja-Tallinn districts, as well as in other parts of the city.

The Urban Environment and Public Works Department reminds citizens that many sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner adjacent to the road, who must also ensure ice removal if necessary. For this, granite grit with a grain size of 2-6 mm may be used. The use of ash, sand, or chlorides is not permitted. The city provides free granite grit to apartment associations and private homeowners, with more information available from district offices.

For questions about snow removal, residents can contact the Tallinn helpline at 14 410. You can also report issues via the public order and landscaping information system’s map application: https://hhhis.tallinn.ee/add.

More information about Tallinn’s winter road maintenance can be found on the website https://www.tallinn.ee/en/lumi.