Bayview makes Worst Roads list

[attach]2988[/attach]Toronto motorists may be in for a smoother ride on a few major routes but the city is still home to some of the bumpiest roads in the province, including Bayview Avenue. The Canadian Automobile Association recently released their annual list of the worst roads in Ontario as voted on by its members.

Now in its eighth year, the list began as a way for the association to let their members determine what roadways were most in need of work and to place pressure on local governments to fix them. Recently, the city of Toronto’s transportation services have responded to that pressure by actively resurfacing a number of major arteries across the city.

Victoria Park Avenue was listed as the thirteenth worst road in Ontario in 2009. After major repairs this summer, Victoria Park disappeared from the 2010 worst roads list.

Nearby Bayview Avenue, however, is bad, exemplified by its 17th place ranking on this year’s list.

Potholes and cracks aren’t just unpleasant to drive on.

Poor road conditions can cause serious problems to your vehicle, said Leon Mermer, owner of York Mills Automotive Centre.

“Ball joints, control arms, shock absorbers — they will wear out. When the road is bad, the wheel is bumping up and down every time and of course it affects the alignment of the vehicle,” Mermer said.

Repairs to Bayview Avenue are in the works but will not begin until other work, including a Toronto Water project, in that area is done.

“They’re doing a lot of watermain work in that area,” said Joe Condarcuri, manager for Toronto transportation services. “They’re going to be finished halfway into next year and then the gas (company) will come in just for some minor stuff.”

The city expects resurfacing on Bayview to begin in 2012 and says it should be completed by 2013.

“As soon as they finish, we’ll start in and do the roads,” Condarcuri said. “There’s really no point in doing the roads now if it’s still going to be cut up by others. It’s really a coordination issue.”

In addition to the worst roads list, this year the association released its first annual list of the best roads in the province. Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East placed twentieth and fifteenth on the list, respectively. Voters found Leslie Street, which also underwent repairs this summer, to be the second best road in Ontario.

“I would say it was early summer that I saw some repairs being done,” Mermer said.

Toronto’s Worst Roads

Lawrence Avenue
Finch Avenue
Dufferin Street
Eglinton Avenue West
Kingston Road West
Bayview Avenue
St. Clair Avenue

Toronto’s Best Roads

Steeles Avenue
Leslie Street
Hwy. 407
Islington Avenue
Eglinton Avenue
Lakshore Road
Don Mills Road

*Source: CAA