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These are the worst roads to drive on in Toronto

On Tuesday, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) South Central Ontario released its annual list of Ontario’s top 10 worst roads, and a Toronto road took this year’s second-place spot: Eglinton Avenue West.

Three other Toronto roads made the list: Eglinton Avenue East ranked sixth place, Lake Shore Boulevard East ranked seventh, and Finch Avenue West ranked eighth.

The annual CAA Worst Roads campaign is in its 18th year, where Ontario residents nominate and vote for roads in their communities in poor conditions.  The campaign is aimed at making Ontario roads safer by helping different levels of government understand what roadway improvements are important and where they need to be made (e.g., potholes, congestion, poor road signs, and other safety concerns).  This year’s campaign involved 3,000 roads nominated across 182 Ontario municipalities.

Barton Street East in Hamilton topped the list and roads in Prince Edward County, Ottawa, and Kingston were included:  Barker Street, Prince Edward County ranked third, County Road 49 in Prince Edward County ranked fourth, and Carling Avenue in Ottawa ranked fifth.

The campaign also includes a list of the top five worst roads in regions across the province. In Toronto, the results are:

  • 1) Eglinton Avenue West
  • 2) Eglinton Avenue East
  • 3) Lake Shore Boulevard East
  • 4) Finch Avenue West
  • 5) Bathurst Street

From 2003 to 2022, 12 worst roads from across Ontario have topped the CAA’s list. Here’s the list of winners from Toronto over the years:

  • 2003: Steeles Avenue
  • 2005: Steeles Avenue
  • 2008: Steeles Avenue
  • 2009: Steeles Avenue
  • 2012: Dufferin Street
  • 2013: Dufferin Street
  • 2014: Dufferin Street
  • 2019: Eglinton Avenue East

According to the CAA, the campaign is working. For example, in 2021, Victoria Road (Prince Edward County) topped the list, but it dropped off the list in 2022.

“People vote in the annual CAA Worst Roads Campaign because it gives Ontarians a platform to continue putting pressure on various levels of government to understand what roads they believe are in urgent need of repair,” Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president, government and community relations, CAA SCO, said in a press release. “The campaign has been able to demonstrate that decision-makers are paying attention to the results, which has prompted municipal officials to move up infrastructure projects in their communities.”

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