The votes are in, and the CAA Worst Road in Ontario for 2023 is Barton Street East in Hamilton. (CNW Group/CAA South Central Ontario)
Sometimes a streak is not a good thing. After tallying the votes, Hamilton’s Barton Street East has once again been named Ontario’s worst road in the Canadian Automobile Association’s annual contest to spotlight Canada’s worst roads, CAA Worst Road for 2023.
Barton Street’s persistent issues with potholes and severe alligator cracking in the pavement have led to its dubious distinction. The road first appeared on the top 10 list in 2019 and has steadily climbed its way to the top now for the second year in a row.
Taking the second and third place spots are roads that have also crowned the top of the list at one point, Eglinton Avenue West in Toronto and County Road 49 in Prince Edward County.
“The 2023 CAA Worst Roads campaign provides a valuable snapshot of the roads that the public perceives as pain points,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president for CAA South Central Ontario. “For 20 years, this campaign has served as a powerful advocacy tool, initiating dialogues with decision-makers and driving positive change for safer roads across Ontario.”
Four new roads have debuted this year on the provincial top 10 list: Laclie Street, Orillia; Steeles Avenue East, Toronto; Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton; and Hurontario Street, Mississauga.
Many of the roads nominated have undergone or are undergoing significant improvements, says the CAA, adding that success stories of the campaign are primarily attributed to the government’s prioritization of infrastructure. The automobile association’s 2023 campaign was supported by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO).
“RCCAO is proud to support and partner with this year’s CAA Worst Roads advocacy campaign to give Ontarians a platform to raise awareness about the state of vital road infrastructure in their communities,” said Nadia Todorova, executive director of RCCAO. “The campaign highlights once again the need for dedicated funding to address the state-of-good-repair and maintenance of critical infrastructure needed to support our growing province. I want to thank RCCAO members for their initiative to offer their technical expertise to this campaign, including the Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association (GTSWCA), Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT), and the Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA).”
Ontario’s Top 10 Worst Roads for 2023
- Barton Street East, Hamilton
- Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto
- County Road 49, Prince Edward County
- Carling Avenue, Ottawa
- Finch Avenue West, Toronto
- Laclie Street, Orillia
- Steeles Avenue East, Toronto
- Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton
- Lakeshore Boulevard East, Toronto
- Hurontario Street, Mississauga
Worst Roads by Region
- Central— Laclie Street, Orillia
- Eastern—County Road 49, Prince Edward County
- Halton-Peel-York-Durham— Hurontario Street, Mississauga
- Niagara—Portage Road, Niagara Falls
- North— Algonquin Boulevard East, Timmins
- Southwest—Lauzon Parkway, Windsor
- Western—York Road, Guelph
- Ottawa— Carling Avenue, Ottawa