Potholes and uneven pavements are taking the fun out of hitting the open road these days — and Scarborough motorists can’t seem to catch a break.
Two Scarborough roads were listed among Ontario’s worst in the Canadian Automobile Association’s 2010 survey: Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East.
TTC bus driver Stewart Clubley has driven on both.
“There’s a certain spot on Kingston, between Birchmount Road and Victoria Park Avenue, which should be blown up,” he said. “You literally have to stay in the middle lane. If you’re driving in the right-hand lane closest to the curb, it’s unbearable.”
I’ve had a few riders come up and thank me for driving in the centre lane on Kingston.
—Stewart Clubley
Clubley, who has been part of the TTC’s Birchmount division for the past 11 years, regularly serves routes along Kingston Road, in addition to Don Mills Road, Victoria Park Avenue, and Warden Avenue.
“I’ve had a few riders come up and thank me for driving in the centre lane on Kingston,” he said. “Buses aren’t meant to take large holes. When they go over potholes, it sounds like a gun has gone off. Going over bumps, the bus not only moves up and down, but also twists from side to side.”
CAA spokesperson Faye Lyons cited numerous issues that make Ontario’s worst roads unpopular with drivers.
“Weather and congestion are factors that can cause damage to roads,” she said. “Most of them see cracked pavement, potholes, and receive patchwork rather than resurfacing.”
Like Lyons, Clubley said patchwork is what earns some of Ontario’s worst roads a spot on the CAA’s list.
“When crews dig holes and fill them back in, they can’t make them perfectly level again,” he said. “They refill the holes rather than paving over them, making the road dip down or crest up a little bit, which means a pretty bumpy ride.”
For this year’s survey, the CAA asked motorists to name 10 roads.
Scarborough’s contenders include Lawrence Avenue East, Kingston Road, Finch Avenue East, and Birchmount Road.
Voting concluded on April 24, and results will be available on the CAA’s website in the next few weeks.