Trio of Barrie roads find a spot on CAA's 'worst' list

Three well-travelled roads in Barrie have made the list for the worst roads in central Ontario.

Each year, CAA conducts an online survey seeking input from Canadians about what they think the worst road in their community is.

This year, Barrie takes three of the top five spots for the central region, with Huronia Road (near Lockhart Road), Bell Farm Road and Essa Road (near Highway 400) making the list.

Thankfully, there is some hope in sight.

A two-year, $13.8-million project is currently happening on Bell Farm Road, which includes reconstruction and widening of the street to three lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks between St. Vincent to Duckworth streets. This work will also address the aging infrastructure as well as the deteriorating pavement condition.

Coun. Keenan Aylwin says it's no surprise that Bell Farm Road made the list of Worst Roads this year.

"It was in rough shape and reconstruction was long overdue. I'm happy to report that the Bell Farm Road reconstruction project is well underway. I'm excited that Bell Farm Road will have sidewalks and bike lanes going forward to support a healthier and more sustainable community," he said. "This is a key link in Ward 2 and the city's northeast end.

"In the longer term, we should be thinking about how to transform the city's transportation system to prioritize active transportation and transit not only to tackle the climate emergency, but because it's also more cost-effective in terms of wear and tear on our roads," Aylwin added.

Meanwhile in the south end, Coun. Jim Harris, whose ward borders the more commercial side of Huronia Road near Lockhart Road, said he hasn't received any complaints about the road, but acknowledged it does "get a bit rough" at one point.

The CAA's Tina Wong, government relations specialist for South Central Ontario, says it's local residents who know their cities and towns the best.

“The point of the campaign is to take a snapshot of what roads the public perceives are not meeting their expectations so decision makers can be aware of what that public sentiment is,” Wong told BarrieToday. “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.

"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.

So what makes a road a “worst road”? Wong said based on the input they receive through the campaign, it’s really anything that gets in the way of a road user trying to get from Point A to Point B.

“Most popular by far across the province, as well as is the case for the roads that showed up for Barrie, (are) potholes and crumbling pavement,” she said.

The second most popular issue people indicate is there’s not enough walking or cycling infrastructure, Wong added.

“We are seeing more and more of that with the increase in riding bikes and with the pandemic… people are getting outside and exploring their local neighbourhoods more," she said.

Every spring, CAA opens its online voting portal where Canadians have the opportunity to nominate what they think is their worst road and tell the company what their main concerns are, how they use the road and send photos.

All three Barrie roads that made the list were chosen because of potholes and crumbling pavement, Wong said.

“The CAA campaign is intended to keep front of mind for everybody the fact that funding for roadway improvements and road infrastructure needs to be consistent to ensure the quality and safety of Ontario's roads is maintained,” she said. “To fix stuff once in a while is not terrible, but it’s most important to have things maintained regularly so you don’t need to have those major reconstructions that take a lot of time, money and planning."

Wong says the transportation system is "very important" and these arteries should be well maintained.

The City of Barrie's road network has an average condition score of 75 out of 100, where 100 is new pavement, noted Kelly Oakley, ,anager of corporate asset management at city hall. Overall, this score reflects good condition.

"While we always pay attention the CAA Worst Roads list, the list usually tells us what we already know," she told BarrieToday. "The city maintains a database of the city’s roads and their condition. We plan for the maintenance and repair of roadways to optimize spending of tax dollars and road pavement conditions across Barrie."

Bell Farm Road is under construction and is expected to be complete in 2022.

"It will be fully reconstructed to provide an improved driving surface, as well as the addition of sidewalks, bike lanes and storm sewers," Oakley said. "The project will improve active transportation, safety and overall level of service in the area."

Oakley added the city is aware of Essa Road's poor condition from Mapleview Drive south to the city limits at County Road 27.

"To be as efficient as possible with funding, the city is aiming to align the timing of full road construction with other work necessary for development in this area," she said. "Unfortunately, the development is delayed and that has resulted in deferral of the full reconstruction and widening of Essa Road."

City staff are investigating interim solutions to improve Essa's road surface from Mapleview to County Road 27, Oakley added.

North of Mapleview, Essa Road is planned to be reconstructed from Coughlin Road to Mapleview, starting in 2028, she noted, adding Huronia Road from Lockhart Road to McKay Road is in very poor condition.

"Future road improvements have been aligned with construction of a trunk sanitary sewer to service new development in this area," she said. "The construction is currently forecast in the capital plan for 2024-2027."

All future projects are subject to council approval through the city’s business planning and budget process.