Vote for Ontario's Worst Road

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 23, 2015) - The deep freeze that swept across Ontario made it the coldest February on record, as temperatures were on average seven to nine degrees colder than historic averages in the province. It was this persistent cold that once again left Ontario roads with crater-sized potholes, resulting in teeth-rattling rides for drivers.

With so many roads across the province in dire need of repairs, CAA North & East Ontario (CAA NEO), along with CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Niagara, is putting power into the hands of road users with the annual Worst Roads campaign.

Municipalities across Ontario are responsible for the upkeep of approximately 140,000 km of roads. Ensuring these streets are being properly maintained and kept in a state of good repair is extremely expensive. As such, CAA will once again be calling on the provincial government to dedicate gas tax money to a permanent fund that municipalities can access in order to meet their infrastructure requirements.

Also announced today, for the first time in the campaign's history there will be a series of regional Top 5 Worst Roads lists presented alongside the annual provincial Top 10 list.

"Last year we saw a large number of residents from Mountain, Ontario rally together in order to get a local road in their community on the Top 10 list, falling short by only a few hundred votes," said Christina Hlusko, president and CEO of CAA NEO. "We recognize that many communities outside the large urban areas have just as pressing local road repair needs and we are hoping, with the introduction of the local Top 5 lists, Members in those smaller communities will feel like they're being heard."

Road users can voice their opinion by casting a ballot online at www.caaworstroads.ca by April 17, 2015.

CAA NEO provides roadside assistance to Members, along with an extensive array of travel and insurance services designed to suit the individual needs, wants and expectations of its Members.

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