It could be the potholes, congestion or worn-down pavement. Whatever the grievance is, now is your chance to speak out about that roadway you just can't take driving on.
Irritated motorists are urged to vote in the Canadian Automobile Association's "worst roads" survey, which aims to shine a light on deteriorating streets in Ontario.
Though it sounds cathartic, venting isn't the sole purpose of the campaign. By CAA's count, 90 per cent of the roads that have been nominated to the annual list have been or are scheduled to be repaired.
"The power of this campaign comes from the thousands of people across Ontario who take action each year and nominate a road," said CAA spokesperson Faye Lyons.
Speaking to reporters in Toronto on Tuesday, Lyons said the association plans to present the list to politicians in a bid to get the ill-reputed roadways fixed.
Potholes alone can throw a vehicle's alignment off or bend tire rims, amounting to costly repairs. For instance, CAA notes that replacing the shock absorbers on a car could put a driver out up to $285.
Vehicle damage aside, a congested street can burn through both fuel and personal time. For instance, the annual cost of congestion ranges from $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion, according to a 2006 Transport Canada survey. That cost factors in the value of time lost to travellers, fuel consumed and greenhouse gases emitted.
Repairing pothole-riddled streets, however, may be a hard sell right now as Ontario's lawmakers prepare to vote on an austere budget which proposes cuts to infrastructure spending.
Still, Lyons remains confident in the campaign's power to affect change. She said the contest has been so successful since its inception in 2003, its being expanded to seven additional provinces.
Participants can head over to www.worstroads.ca to vote for the worst road in their neighbourhood by submitting its name, or clicking on its location via an online map.
Want to take your nomination one step further? Let us know what your least favourite road is in the comments section below.
