What Was Voted the Worst Road in the Province This Year?

It’s official: Toronto’s construction-ravaged Eglinton Avenue East is the worst road in the province, according to a recent poll by CAA.

The street topped the organization’s annual Worst Roads list, dethroning two-time champion Burlington Street East in Hamilton. Riverdale Drive in Washago and Dufferin Street in Toronto finished second and third on the list, respectively.

CAA’s Worst Roads campaign

The ranking, now in its 16th year, is designed to draw attention to Ontario’s most neglected streets—and encourage municipalities to fix them.

“CAA will continue to advocate for longer-term dedicated infrastructure funding to help municipalities prepare, plan, budget and execute on repair backlogs and capital projects,” says Raymond Chan, a government relations specialist with CAA South Central Ontario.

How Eglinton’s notoriously bad traffic put it at the top of the list

Eglinton Avenue East is ground zero for one of the biggest expansions of public transit in North America. Crews are building a 19-kilometre light-rail line alongside and underneath the crosstown artery, snarling traffic. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians cited lane closures, crumbling pavement and poor signage as reasons for nominating Eglinton as Ontario’s worst road.

The light rail line, known as the Eglinton Crosstown, is scheduled to be finished in 2021, offering some hope for the future, says Chan. “While the condition of Eglinton Avenue is of concern to the public, many of the challenges for all road users will hopefully be resolved with the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown project.”

The full top 10 list of Worst Roads for 2019

While Eglinton drew much of Ontarians’ ire, more than half of municipalities saw at least one of their roads nominated as the worst in the province. Here’s a look at the top 10.

1. Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto

2. Riverdale Drive, Washago

3. Dufferin Street, Toronto

4. County Road 49, Prince Edward County

5. Barton Street East, Hamilton

6. Burlington Street East, Hamilton

7. Avondale Road, Belleville

8. Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto

9. Carnegie Beach Road, Scugog

10. Bathurst Street, Toronto

Keep reading

Don’t see a street you voted for? Click here for the complete 2019 list of CAA’s Worst Roads.

Plus, find out why summer heat is harder on your car battery than frigid winter temperatures.

Image credit: Eric Sehr