Three streets in London have the dubious distinction of being voted among the region's worst.
The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) released its annual list of the worst roads in Ontario on Tuesday. In the organization's western region, Adelaide Street North and York Street ranked second and third on the top five worst list.
The only road in a worse state of disrepair was York Road in Guelph.
Ira Needles Boulevard in Waterloo placed fourth and Adelaide Street South in London came in fifth.
The CAA’s western region includes Middlesex County, Oxford County, Brant County, Huron County, Norfolk County, Perth County, and the Waterloo Region.
This is Adelaide Street North's second year on the list. Last year, it was voted third worst. It moved into the second spot despite work that is underway to improve the stretch of road. Last month, two lanes of the newly constructed four-lane underpass on Adelaide Street North opened. It allows vehicles to pass beneath the CP Rail tracks, eliminating the estimated 11 to 30 times a day drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians were blocked by passing trains. The last two lanes of the underpass are expected to open later in the summer.
The annual list is compiled based on drivers, cyclists, transit riders, and pedestrians votes. Voting began online at the end of March and continued until April 19. Roads that receive the most votes are often riddled with potholes, heavily congested, poorly maintained, or lack cycling infrastructure.
Across the province, 145 municipalities nominated over 2,000 different roads in their communities. According to CAA the annual list of worst roads provides decision-makers with an important citizen perspective on which road repairs need to be expedited.
"We know that the campaign works; time and time again, we see roads and infrastructure projects being moved up and budgets prioritized after the road has appeared on the list," Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president of government and community relations at CAA South Central Ontario, said in a statement. "For the last 21 years, the campaign has given Ontarians a voice to help them nominate the roads they believe are in need of urgent repair."
Provincially, the top ten worst roads were nowhere near the London-area.
Aberdeen Avenue in Hamilton took the number one spot in Ontario, its first year on the provincial list. It received the most votes due to its potholes, poor road maintenance, and traffic congestion. The second and third spots were taken by Eglinton Avenue West in Toronto and Barton Street East in Hamilton.
The full list of Ontario's Top 10 Worst Roads for 2024 is as follows:
Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton
Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto
Barton Street East, Hamilton
County Road 49, Prince Edward
Hurontario Street, Mississauga
Bloor Street West, Toronto
Cedar Street North, Uxbridge
Finch Avenue West, Toronto
Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto
Laclie Street, Orillia