TORONTO — Another year, another 20 decrepit streets Ontario road users want fixed.

This year, the honor of Worst Road in the province went to Cardwell Road in the Township of Assiginack, Ont. That selection was followed by Limebank Road in Ottawa; and perennial top choice, Steeles Avenue West in north Toronto.

The Municipal Roads Coalition (MRC) — made of several road and transit user groups, including the Ontario Trucking Association — received thousands of nominees for this year’s list.

The 2006 Top 20 Worst Municipal Roads list based on more than 5,000 nominations from across the province. Clearly, crumbling infrastructure is a significant voter concern going into municipal elections, says MRC.

Some other crumbling roads, as designated by respondents, include:
Lansing Ave., Sudbury (5); Thompson Rd., London (9); Carlton St., St. Catharines (12); Belrose Rd., Thunder Bay (16); Huron Church Rd., Windsor (17); and Notre Dame Ave., Sudbury (20).

An honorable mention has been extended to Highway 17 throughout northern Ontario. Although it is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, it acts like a local road in many of the towns throughout the north and received repeated nominations, says MRC.

“Bad roads can cause thousands of dollars damage to your vehicle. That damage can threaten your safety by impacting your steering and braking,” said Kris Barnier, provincial affairs specialist for CAA Ontario. “Road users have sent a clear message to politicians that they want their roads fixed.”

Since the campaign’s 2003 inception, over 86 percent of nominated roads have received — or are in the process of receiving — improvements. Selection criteria includes the number of votes cast, surface conditions and congestion and voter safety concerns.

The entire list can be seen by following the link below.