Toronto’s pothole-riddled Dufferin Street has been voted the worst road in Ontario for the second year in a row, the Canadian Automobile Association announced Tuesday.
Those who participated in CAA’s annual worst roads survey described Dufferin Street as a “disgrace.” The road has appeared on CAA’s list of shame seven times.
The Dufferin Street bridge, which crosses the Gardiner Expressway, was recently closed to all vehicular traffic for 18 months over safety concerns raised by inspectors. The span will be torn down and replaced.
Half of the roads that landed on the 2013 “worst” list are located in the GTA and Hamilton. They are:
- Dufferin Street (Toronto)
- Burlington Street East (Hamilton)
- Finch Avenue West (Toronto)
- Kraft Creek Road (Timmins)
- Bayview Avenue (Toronto)
- Lawrence Avenue East (Toronto)
- Wharncliffe Road South (London)
- Bouvier Road (Clarence-Rockland)
- Carling Avenue (Ottawa)
- Stanley Avenue (Niagara Falls)
The ranking is based on more than 10,000 votes from motorists across the province.
Faye Lyons of the South Central Ontario CAA said 90 per cent of the voters complained about potholes and poor road infrastructure.
"Voters have spoken loud and clear," Lyons told reporters. "Their concerns reflect the fact that our municipal infrastructure is in decay."
And damage to a car from potholes can be very costly, ranging from $250 if the tire is damaged, to $500 if the rim is damaged.
"The tire gets a bubble, it usually ruptures…if it’s a big rupture, it can actually damage the rim," one car mechanic told CTV Toronto.
Lyons said the CAA will continue to press the provincial government for “sustainable and dedicated funding” for municipal road repair and construction projects.
The CAA is also calling for better gas tax sharing.
"Motorists pay 14.7 cents on every litre of gas and diesel purchase, contributing about 2.3 billion a year to Ontario provincial government,” Lyons said. “The provincial gas tax has been collected for decades and there remains a need for gas tax sharing for road improvements."
With a report from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman
