CAA Niagara Launches 14th Worst Roads Campaign

St. Catharines, ON (April 10, 2017) – CAA Niagara kicked off the 14th Worst Roads campaign today, with a request for drivers, cyclists, transit riders and pedestrians to advocate for better, safer roads in Niagara.

For more than a decade, the Worst Roads campaign has given Niagara residents an opportunity to voice their concerns about the roads in their community. At the end of the campaign, a top 10 list of roads are presented to municipal and regional governments. "It’s important that the community’s voice is heard by decision makers," said Rick Mauro, CAA Niagara’s Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. "It’s not just motorists who are affected by the quality of our roadways, but cyclists and pedestrians too. Deteriorating infrastructure affects us all and everyone’s input matters."

This year, the Worst Roads campaign has two key objectives:

  1. Provide residents with a voice and give them a chance to vote for their worst roads. Voters can identify issues such as pedestrian and cycling safety, poor road signage, timing of traffic lights and traffic congestions.
  2. Continue to encourage provincial officials to make a permanent financial commitment to municipalities through gasoline taxes. The provincial government is currently dedicating 7.5 cents of provincial gas tax for infrastructure and transit as part of a 10-year plan, but there is no permanent solution in place.

"Last year’s campaign saw a 50 per cent increase of votes in Niagara with 93 per cent reporting "potholes and crumbling pavement as the reason for selecting their road," Mr. Mauro added. "This increased level of participation shows that residents care about Niagara roads and see room for improvement." Queenston Street, St. Catharines; Dominion Road, Fort Erie; Drummond Road, Niagara Falls; Lakeshore Road Niagara-on-the-Lake and Grantham Avenue, St. Catharines topped the list in 2016.

CAA's Worst Roads Campaign runs until May 1 and votes can be cast at www.CAAWorstRoads.ca. Voters will be entered into a weekly draw for a $100 Kelsey's gift card and one voter will win $2,500 worth of gasoline.

 

CAA Niagara is a not-for-profit membership organization offering roadside assistance, travel, insurance and member savings. Founded in 1911 as the St. Catharines Automobile Club with just 16 members, CAA Niagara has grown to more than 122,000 members with five Niagara locations.

 

Contact: media@caaniagara.ca