Toronto, Ontario — Do you have a pesky pothole that always sneaks up on you on your way to work? Well, it’s the time of year to publicly shame your municipality into doing something about it—the CAA Worst Roads campaign is now open to hear Ontarian’s voices.
“We know that through CAA’s research, almost three quarters (72 percent) of Ontarians are venting about the state of our roads to either their spouses, friends or co-workers and not always to local government officials,” said Teresa Di Felice, area v-p of government and community relations for CAA South Central Ontario.
“As we kick off another year of the CAA Worst Roads campaign, we are calling on all Ontarians to vote for their Worst Roads today and join the community of drivers, cyclists, transit riders and pedestrians committed to improving Ontario’s roads.”
The campaign aims to engage Ontario drivers with local and government officials who have the means to prioritize and repair the province’s most severe potholes.
CAA cited in Tuesday’s press release a 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card that found “a concerning amount” of municipal infrastructure is in poor or very poor condition. The report card also highlights spending $1 on pavement preservation may eliminate or delay spending $6-$10 on costly repairs later.
The association’s own research also shows that more than 80 percent of Ontarians say poor road conditions such as cracks in pavement (89 percent) and potholes (82 percent) are still the most common issues in their neighbourhoods.
The damage to a vehicle caused by a pothole can range from $300, with some fixes topping $6,000 depending on the make and model of the car, according to the press release.
“As the inventory of vehicles continues to remain scarce due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, more people are now trying to hold on to their cars for longer. Not only can poor roads cause damage to vehicles but they also contribute heavily to the wear and tear of tires and increased fuel consumption which is why the maintenance and quality of our roadways is so important.” said Di Felice.
Nominations for CAA’s Worst Roads are open until April 19.
