TORONTO, (Oct. 10, 2003) — Truckers fed up with taking a beating because of potholes, cracked pavement, and unsafe infrastructure can now vote for their choice for the worst municipal road in the province.

A new website — www.worstroads.ca — is being launched by the Ontario Trucking Association, as well as CAA Ontario, the Ontario Motor Coach Association, the Ontario Road Builders Association, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Together, they have formed the Municipal Roads Coalition.

The top 20 worst roads, based on public nominations, will be announced in December. Visitors to the website can also send email messages expressing their concerns to their mayor.

Municipal Roads Coalition says total municipal spending on roads shrank by $273 million or 25 per cent. A recent study of 35 municipalities in Ontario found that they needed to spend more than $700 million on road reconstruction, while actual spending amounted to only $255 million. The same study also revealed that 45 per cent of the roads required work, and 10 per cent needed immediate repair.

The group is also calling on provincial and federal governments to invest significantly more in the road system. In fiscal 2000-2001, Ottawa collected $2.1 billion in fuel taxes and road user fees from the province, and spent only $5.7 million on Ontario roads. During the same year, Queen’s Park collected $3.7 billion in fuel taxes and road user fees, and spent $1.1 billion on the road system, the group says.