Rural routes dominate CAA’s Worst Roads lists in 2016

By Mike Davey

Toronto, Ontario — May 26, 2016 — Results are in for CAA’s Annual Worst Roads survey. The campaign asked members of the public to nominate roads in their region for the dubious honour of being named among the worst places to drive.

What makes a “worst road” could be virtually anything: potholes, congestion, safety concerns, insufficient signage or a simple lack of maintenance. Any or all of these can make traversing the road more difficult and carries the potential for accidents.

There were a number of upsets to the established order this year. For the first time in the campaign’s history, roads in Toronto were bumped out of Ontario’s Top 5 list. County Road 49 in Prince Edward County has been named the worst road in Ontario. This is Country Road 49’s first appearance on the list, but it’s off to a very strong start.

“The results of CAA’s Worst Roads campaign show that more dedicated funds are needed from existing sources to address our growing infrastructure challenges,” said Raymond Chan, Government Relations Specialist, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO). “With a record number of roads from across Ontario nominated this year, the results highlight the growing need for infrastructure investment and prioritization in communities across the province.”

Manitoba saw some upsets as well. Rural roads dominated the list for the first time ever this year. Highways in Carman, Brookdale, Goodlands, Boissevain and Gillam bumped long-standing Winnipeg streets from the list. Carman managed to snag two spots on the list, with Main St. N taking number one, and Main St. S occupying number five.

“This has been a record year for Worst Roads, and the campaign clearly illustrates that Manitobans believe streets all over the province need some TLC: tender loving construction,” said Mike Mager, President and CEO of CAA Manitoba. “I believe the fact that Worst Roads spurred the provincial government to reconstruct Brandon’s Victoria Avenue back in 2013 helped motivate rural Manitobans to vote for the problem roads in their community.”

Nova Scotia roads took six of the top 10 spots in the Atlantic region, but the top two spots went to roads in Newfoundland: Point Lance in Branch was the overall “winner,” with Highway 434 in Conche taking second place.

“The Worst Roads campaign allows the public to identify the roads in their area that are in particularly rough shape or present dangerous driving conditions,” says Gary Howard, vice president of communications at CAA Atlantic in the release. “Ongoing road maintenance is essential to ensure that we can all enjoy safe, economical, environmentally responsible and pleasant driving conditions.”

Finally, Quebec’s worst road is also relatively rural. Route de Marcil was ranked as the province’s worst road. It’s located in the community of Port-Daniel-Gascons, boasting a population of about 2,500.

You can see the complete list of Worst Roads from each region below.

Ontario

1. County Road 49, Prince Edward County

2. Algonquin Blvd. W., Timmins

3. Balmoral St., Thunder Bay

4. Algonquin Blvd. E., Timmins

5. Queenston St., St. Catharines

6. Burlington St. E., Hamilton

7. Lorne St., Sudbury

8. Bayview Ave., Toronto

9. Dufferin St., Toronto

10. Riverside Dr., Timmins (tied for 10th)