As the snow melts and the aftermath of winter damage to roadways appears, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is once again asking residents to cast their vote for the "worst road" in Ontario.
Since 2003 - excluding 2020 - CAA has called on Ontarians to vote for the worst road in the province on issues ranging from potholes, congestion, poor road signs and other safety concerns as the CAA asks voters to think about the overall condition of the roads.
The collected votes are used to shine a light on the worst roads, prompting road repairs in a timely manner by working in partnership with the government to invest in road maintenance, repair and replacement.
Teresa Di Felice, AVP government and community relations, CAA SCO said once the roads have been named the CAA brings those concerns raised to local and provincial governments.
“We’re very fortunate, the reason why the campaign has been around for 18-years plus is because it does get action,” said Di Felice. “In fact, various parts of the province we’ve had roads repaired with elected officials even stating they want that road off the list.”
The City of Guelph has yet to claim the worst road in Ontario, however, when broken down into regional votes Guelph has won some accolades.
The western voting from 2021, with includes Brant, Huron, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth County, the Waterloo Region and more, had Guelph’s York Road in the top spot.
“Guelph did have a regional road identified last year - which is York Road which is currently under construction - so it will remain to be seen if it comes off the list because people recognize it's being fixed and whether Guelph will nominate some other roads in order to fill the next space for reconstruction,” said Di Felice.
CAA’s research shows that more than 80 per cent of Ontarians say poor road conditions such as cracks in the pavement are still the most common issues in their neighbourhoods.
Di Felice said depending on the damage, hitting a pothole can cost drivers around $300 if they need a new tire or rim and can jump up to $6,000 depending on the make and model of the car and the extent of the damage.
Last year's contest saw over 3000 roads nominated.
Nominations for CAA’s Worst Roads can be cast at caaworstroads.com until April 19.
