Each year the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) ranks the worst roads across the nation and this year an Orillia road has been included in the top five worst roads in Central Ontario.
Laclie Street ranked number four on CAA’s list, behind 9 Line in Innisfil, Essa Road in Barrie, and Bell Farm Road in Barrie.
Pat Hehn, one of two city councillors representing Ward 4 (which includes Laclie Street) says she is "very sorry" the busy city road made the demeaning list. However, she says change is coming.
“That is one of the roads we are very definitely looking at doing massive reconstruction on,” Hehn said.
The City of Orillia is currently doing a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment on Laclie Street. As part of that process, resident of the street are being asked to vote for six different options for a new look to the busy road.
“We are asking people if they would like to see two lanes, bike lanes, there is a whole series of options,” Hehn said.
“We will assess those surveys when they come back and then go through the whole process of construction."
Hehn says Laclie Street will be re-constructed in three phases.
The first phase, between Neywash Street and Borland Street, will be finished in 2023. The second section, between Borland Street and Fittons Road, will be finished in 2024. And the final section, between Fittons Road and Murray Street, will be completed in 2025.
“Obviously that is all dependant on the capital budgets that have to go before council, but it is certainly in the budget that we have in place, and hopefully we will move forward,” Hehn said.
“We’ve been aware of the situation for a long time. It’s on our list.”
For more information on the city's plans to re-construct Laclie Street, click here.
The CAA's Tina Wong, government relations specialist for South Central Ontario, says the goal of the CAA Worst Roads Campaign is to determine what roads the public perceives are not up to standard so decision-makers can be aware of public sentiment.
“We know municipalities and the province plan their capital works projects years in advance and they know they can do this based on the types of materials used on each road as well as the type of traffic and volumes on those roads,” Wong said.
"They’re able to plan those repair schedules ahead of time, however, there’s nothing quite like eyes on the road, so that’s why that public perception that the CAA Worst Roads Campaign measures is such an important factor," she added.
Every spring, CAA opens its online voting portal where Canadians can nominate what they think is the worst road and express their main concerns.
Wong says the transportation system is "very important" and Ontario's roads need to be well maintained.
Laclie Street was the long Orillia road to be included in the CAA list.
--With files from Nikki Cole
