Prince Edward County tops CAA's Worst Roads list for the first time with County Road 49

CAA SCO reveals provincial and regional lists for 2016

TORONTO, May 26, 2016 /CNW/ - The votes are in and County Road 49 in Prince Edward County has been named the worst road in Ontario. This is the first time County Road 49 has appeared on CAA's provincial Top 10 list.

Three of the roads on the 2016 list are from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) while over 2,500 different roads were nominated right across the province. For the first time in the campaign's history, roads in the City of Toronto were bumped out of the Top 5, while two roads were tied for 10th place on the provincial list.

"The results of CAA's Worst Roads campaign show that more dedicated funds are needed from existing sources to address our growing infrastructure challenges," said Raymond Chan, Government Relations Specialist, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO). "With a record number of roads from across Ontario nominated this year, the results highlight the growing need for infrastructure investment and prioritization in communities across the province."

"This year's Worst Roads Campaign once again solidified that although much work has been done across the province to maintain and repair Ontario's roads, greater investments are needed to tackle the staggering municipal infrastructure deficit in Ontario," commented Geoff Wilkinson, Executive Director, Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA). "An efficient transportation system is essential for a vibrant economy and good quality of life – connecting our communities and enabling businesses to get their goods to market."

Of the roads on this year's Top 10 list, participants said that potholes and congestion were the main reasons why they voted. Other factors that voters cited included pedestrian and cycling safety.

Ontario's Top 10 Worst Roads for 2016:

1. County Road 49, Prince Edward County	6. Burlington St. E., Hamilton
2. Algonquin Blvd. W., Timmins	7. Lorne St., Sudbury
3. Balmoral St., Thunder Bay	8. Bayview Ave., Toronto
4. Algonquin Blvd. E., Timmins	9. Dufferin St., Toronto
5. Queenston St., St. Catharines	10. Riverside Dr., Timmins (tied for 10th)
	10. Water St., Thunder Bay (tied for 10th)

CAA has also compiled a list of the worst roads in seven regions across Ontario.

#1 Worst Road by Region:

North Region – Algonquin Blvd. W., Timmins
Halton-Peel-York-Durham – Cedar St. N., Uxbridge
Niagara Region – Queenston St., St. Catharines
Eastern Region – County Road 49, Prince Edward County
Central Region – St. Johns Rd., Innisfil
Western Region – Franklin Blvd., Cambridge
South West Region – Waterworks Rd., Sarnia

For a full Top 5 list of the worst roads in a region, including lists for Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa, visit caaworstroads.com.

As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario

Image with caption: "Ontario's Top 10 Worst Roads 2016 (CNW Group/CAA South Central Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160526_C2878_PHOTO_EN_699696.jpg

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone]; or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Consultant, CAA SCO [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone]; Geoff Wilkinson, Executive Director, ORBA, [email protected], Cell: [phone].