It’s been consistently viewed by many as one of the worst roads in Ontario, but now Burlington Street East, in Hamilton, has been named Ontario’s Worst Road for 2017 by CAA’s annual survey respondents.
Dufferin Street, in Toronto, and Lorne Street, in Sudbury, took second and third place respectively out of 3,000 nominated streets, the most in the study’s 14-year history.
More rural communities have become vocal about the state of their infrastructure said Elliott Silverstein, CAA’s manager of government relations - and brokers should know the insurance implications.
Browse and compare insurance product listings for Municipalities from specialty market providers here
“The infrastructure of our roads could have an impact on insurance claims and other factors because, if there is significant damage that has been incurred, in some cases it could be hundreds of dollars in repairs, it does have an impact on insurance claims,” Silverstein said.
“We’ve seen in the last number of years a greater focus on rural communities appearing in the top five. On top of that we’ve seen different communities rallying together trying to send a message to their councils or different levels of government as to where dedicated funding is needed and that prioritization of projects is critical.”
The remaining worst roads in Ontario were: Maley Drive, in Sudbury; Queenston Street, in St. Catharines; Algonquin Boulevard West, in Timmins; Hunt Club Road, in Ottawa; Carling Avenue, in Ottawa; Duckworth Street, in Barrie; Algonquin Boulevard East, in Timmins; Yonge Street, in Toronto; and County Road 49, in Prince Edward County.
“We’ve seen communities like Sudbury and Timmins really rally,” Silverstein said.
“Burlington Street East in Hamilton which was ranked worst this year has been in the top 10 (worst roads) consistently since 2009. This has been a pain point for motorists for nearly a decade.”
As for Toronto, its worst roads in order are: Dufferin Street, Yonge Street, Bathurst Street, Eglinton Avenue West and Finch Avenue West.
“This underscores that not all communities have the infrastructure dollars they need to get these projects fully restored,” added Silverstein.
Related stories:
What is the insurance impact as Uber takes over town?
ICBC warns drivers to be wary of cyclists this summer
.jpg)
