Hamilton’s Barton Street East is Ontario’s worst road -- again
The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has released its annual list of Worst Roads in Ontario.
Topping the list again this year is Barton Street East in Hamilton, due to its persistent issues with potholes and severe alligator cracking in the pavement. The road first appeared on the top 10 list in 2019 and has steadily climbed its way to the top now for the second year in a row.
Taking the second and third place spots are roads that at one point have also crowned the top of the list, Eglinton Avenue West in Toronto and County Road 49 in Prince Edward County.
"The 2023 CAA Worst Roads campaign provides a valuable snapshot of the roads that the public perceives as pain points," said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president for CAA South Central Ontario. "For 20 years, this campaign has served as a powerful advocacy tool, initiating dialogues with decision-makers and driving positive change for safer roads across Ontario."
Four new roads have debuted this year on the provincial top 10 list. Laclie Street, Orillia, Steeles Avenue East, Toronto, Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton and Hurontario Street, Mississauga.
Many of the roads nominated have undergone or are undergoing significant improvements. The success stories of the campaign are primarily attributed to the government's prioritization of infrastructure through multi-year capital investments. These investments demonstrate the impact of proactive measures on enhancing road conditions and addressing public concerns.
This year’s Road list is verified by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), which is using the annual survey as a platform to raise awareness of the need for regular, dedicated funding for road and infrastructure repairs.
"RCCAO is proud to support and partner with this year's CAA Worst Roads advocacy campaign to give Ontarians a platform to raise awareness about the state of vital road infrastructure in their communities," said RCCAO executive director Nadia Todorova. "The campaign highlights once again the need for dedicated funding to address the state-of-good-repair and maintenance of critical infrastructure needed to support our growing province."
RCCAO says the regular maintenance of roads ensures they are kept in optimal condition to safely and effectively facilitate the movement of people and goods across the province. Building new infrastructure for growing cities is necessary for the future prosperity of our province.
As Ontario’s economy and population grows, demand will increase on all infrastructure, from transit, highways, roads, bridges, water and wastewater to housing. While cities are doing their best to repair and maintain this critical infrastructure, the financial pressures caused by the pandemic are severely impacting their ability to get the job done.
Large municipalities, like the City of Toronto, are facing funding gaps and will be forced to use capital program budgets to address operating pressures without additional government support. That is why it is vitally important to the health of our cities that both the federal and provincial governments come together to provide municipalities with crucially needed financial assistance, recognizing the delays and overall impacts the pandemic has had on priority infrastructure projects and their state-of-good-repair.
“I want to thank RCCAO members for their initiative to offer their technical expertise to this campaign, including the Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association, Heavy Construction Association of Toronto, and the Toronto and Area Road Builders Association,” said Todorova.
RCCAO welcomes CAA’s focussed advocacy on critical road infrastructure to help municipal and provincial governments understand what roadway improvements are important to citizens and where they need to be made to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for all Ontarians.
Ontario's top 10 worst roads for 2023
- Barton Street East, Hamilton
- Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto
- County Road 49, Prince Edward County
- Carling Avenue, Ottawa
- Finch Avenue West, Toronto
- Laclie Street, Orillia
- Steeles Avenue East, Toronto
- Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton
- Lakeshore Boulevard East, Toronto
- Hurontario Street, Mississauga
Worst Roads by Region
- Central—Laclie Street, Orillia
- Eastern—County Road 49, Prince Edward County
- Halton-Peel-York-Durham—Hurontario Street, Mississauga
- Niagara—Portage Road, Niagara Falls
- North—Algonquin Boulevard East, Timmins
- Southwest—Lauzon Parkway, Windsor
- Western—York Road, Guelph
- Ottawa—Carling Avenue, Ottawa