What are our Worst Roads?

Potholes, blind corners, and stop signs overgrown by trees are just some of the many challenges drivers face in the city, and the Municipal Roads Coalition (headed by CAA) wants you to have your say on the issue.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Ontario's Worst Roads web site is tallying our votes and will soon present us with a list of the 20 worst roads in the province. Urging us to "give [our] mayor some food for thought", the coalition calls for increased funding for road and road safety improvements.

Between 1993 and 2003, over 5000 deaths and 500,000 injuries were reported on Ontario's roadways. How many are attributable to bad roads (as opposed to bad drivers or bad pedestrians or weather conditions, etc) is uncertain, but it does seem like this initiative is founded on a genuine desire to make our roads safer.

With any luck, the results of this survey will result in some real action. According to this press release, 86% of the roads that have previously made the list have been or are scheduled to be worked on.

The "Worst Roads Campaign" runs from September 6 to October 13, with the final list to be announced the week of October 23, 2006.

(photo: Tanja-Tiziana)