From March 20 until April 15, road users can voice their opinions
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Farms.com
Farmers and other rural residents can raise awareness about the quality of infrastructure in their communities during the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA) annual Ontario’s Worst Road campaign.
For the fifteenth year, CAA is asking individuals who share the province’s roads – including motorists, pedestrians and cyclists – to vote for roads that are in poor condition.
When the contest closes, CAA will tally the votes. After validating the findings, CAA will publish the results for the entire province and for specific regions, Mandy Chepeka, the communications manager for CAA North & East Ontario, told Farms.com yesterday. (The Toronto club works with the Ontario Road Builders Association to confirm the technical aspects of the needed road repairs.)
“For example, at the end of the campaign, we would release the top ten worst roads in Ottawa,” she said.
Provincial and municipal elected officials can use this information to advocate for their road users.
“We’ve actually seen work that happens as a result of this (data) being brought to their attention,” Chekeka said.
In fact, the provincial government provided $3 million to the Timmins community to repair Algonquin Boulevard after the campaign in 2016.
“People rallied others to vote for this particular regional road and managed to get it very high up on the list,” she said.
You can vote until April 15 for a road in your rural community here.
M.G.S. Farming photo