These Are Ontario's Worst Roads, According to Local Residents

Every Ontario city has its infamously “worst roads” that residents collectively loath. But, as it turns out, Hamilton may just house the province’s worst road.

The South Central Ontario Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) just released the results of its annual ‘Worst Roads’ campaign. It invites Ontario residents to nominate and vote for roads in their communities that are in notably sorry shape. Issues that contribute to their poor condition include everything from potholes, subpar road signs, and lack of cycling infrastructure, to congestion and traffic light timing.

According to CAA, 3,000 roads were nominated across 182 Ontario municipalities this year by local drivers, cyclists, transit riders, and pedestrians.

And the top spot as Ontario’s worst road went to Barton Road East in the ever-growing city of Hamilton. "After making its debut on the provincial top 10 list in 2019, Barton Street East has ranked fifth place (2019), third place (2021, and climbed to first place this year due to potholes and severe alligator cracking in the pavement. It has also taken the top spot as Hamilton’s worst road for the third year in a row," reads a CAA-issued press release.

This year, four out of 10 of the province’s Worst Roads are in Toronto. Here -- presumably, thanks to perpetual construction on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT -- Eglinton Avenue West and Eglinton Avenue East were seen as the city’s worst roads, taking the second and sixth spots, respectively. Lake Shore Boulevard East took the seventh spot, while Finch Avenue West followed in the eight spot.

Here is the full 2022 list:

Barton Street East, Hamilton, ON.
Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, ON.
Barker Street, Prince Edward County, ON.
County Road 49, Prince Edward County, ON.
Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON.
Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, ON.
Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto, ON.
Finch Avenue West, Toronto, ON.
Bronson Avenue, Ottawa, ON.
Queen Street, Kingston , ON.

Since 2003, CAA's annual Worst Roads campaign has led to change on Ontario’s worst roadways. Repaving and repair work has been done on many of the roads on the list, with more to come, says CAA.

“We know the campaign works. 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,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president, government and community relations, CAA SCO in a statement. “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.”

For example, in 2021, Victoria Road in Prince Edward County made its debut on the provincial top 10 list, but has completely dropped off the list this year. According to CAA, other roads that have come off the provincial top 10 list include Hunt Club Road and Innes Road in Ottawa and Algonquin Boulevard West in Timmins.

"These campaign success stories are because governments are prioritizing infrastructure through multi-year capital investments," added Di Felice. “The results this year show us that Ontarians are relentless in using the campaign to advocate for roads they believe are in urgent need of repair, which is why we have seen Barton Street bubble up to the top spot and roads like Eglinton Avenue continue to garner attention."

With construction on the Crosstown LRT showing no signs of stopping in the near future, we have a feeling this won't be Eglinton Avenue's final appearance on this telling list.

Transportation

These Are Ontario's Worst Roads, According to Local Residents

The South Central Ontario Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) just released the results of its annual ‘Worst Roads’ campaign.

Trending

You may also like

​Brett Armstrong, who relocated from Toronto to Vancouver a few months ago, takes over the Managing Director role as of December 2.

​The 2315 W 4th Avenue site in Vancouver is currently occupied by a Safeway and its surface parking lot.

Quarry Rock Developments was planning a mixed-use project called The Met at 2245 McAllister Avenue in Port Coquitlam.

Step into 4005 Vine Street: a recently renovated end-unit townhouse that boasts all the spacious airiness you could hope for in a single-family home.

While the phrase ‘mortgage delinquency’ may incite feelings of doom, gloom, and dread, a just-released report from Equifax comes through with a (relatively) positive swing.

The new mixed-use development from Broccolini would deliver seven stories of above-ground parking, 936 residential units, and community spaces.

The 27-, 24-, and 21-storey residential development from First Capital and Firm Capital would deliver 919 new dwelling units within steps of Bloor GO.

Development plans from Arkfield come less than two months after the real estate group announced that they had completed acquisition of the site at 10 Lower Spadina Avenue on August 26.

Bill 102, The Commercial to Residential Conversion Act, 2024, was tabled by Liberal MPP Karen McCrimmon in May in response to high office building vacancies in Ontario.

It's time to say "Hello" to Maggi Thornhill of Engel & Völkers franchise for the Sea to Sky Corridor and the Sunshine Coast, who focusses on Whistler.

If approved, the mixed-use building would bring new retail, community cultural space, and 860 dwelling units to a currently underutilised site in Toronto's downtown core.

Amid the housing crisis, access to affordable housing in Toronto continues to be a central issue for many Torontonians as governments, non-profits, and the private sector work to realize effective housing solutions. But there is still much to be done.

Defined as “a day dedicated to raising awareness about housing and homelessness,” National Housing Day 2024 is a good time to reflect on the fact that importance is being put on restoring housing affordability and stability for Canadians — an indisputably tall order.

One of BC’s top developers made waves in the last days of the provincial election campaign by urging everyone to vote BC Conservative in order to end an NDP regime headed by Premier David Eby that he called a blight on the economy and more.

"Housing starts are the housing supply of tomorrow and the longer that sales remain low the more it is anticipated that available housing supply in the 2027-2029 time period will suffer," says BILD.

​Duck Island, located along the Fraser River and leased to the Richmond Night Market, was set for redevelopment by Jingon International Development Group.

2024 © STOREYS Publishing Inc. | All Rights Reserved

Brett Armstrong, who relocated from Toronto to Vancouver a few months ago, takes over the Managing Director role as of December 2.

The 2315 W 4th Avenue site in Vancouver is currently occupied by a Safeway and its surface parking lot.

Duck Island, located along the Fraser River and leased to the Richmond Night Market, was set for redevelopment by Jingon International Development Group.