The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) is calling on British Columbians to identify the roads they believe are the most unsafe and in dire need of attention with its annual “Worst Roads” survey.
Until May 26, 2014, B.C. motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can cast a vote for their ‘Worst Road’ nominee by visiting the website, bcaa.com/worstroads or the BCAA Facebook page. Voters can pinpoint the stretch of road they feel is the ‘worst’ in B.C. and specify what infrastructure issue they’re concerned about. People can vote once per road, but for as many roads as they wish.
“Roads that are jammed with traffic, full of damaging potholes or so deteriorated that you can barely see the road markings can be scary for anyone to use,” says Ken Cousin, BCAA’s associate vice-president of Road Assist. “By voting, you can draw some attention to those unsafe or inefficient roads that frustrate you the most.”
Last year, 581 stretches of road were identified by British Columbians as being some of the province’s most unsafe, overly congested or deteriorating roads. Westside Road, the winner for two years in a row, has seen a $6.5 million investment made by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure towards improvements such as, realignment, paving and slow-moving vehicle pullout projects.
“We recognize that a lot of road work is underway throughout the province and that improvements take time,” says Cousin. “We all have a role to play. BCAA wants to ensure that drivers have a way to continue to identify frustrating roads and we ensure this information is shared with decision makers. As always, we urge British Columbians to do their part by driving safely and we have tips on our website to help.”
Throughout the campaign, real-time rankings are available on the voting site which can be accessed at bcaa.com/worstroads. Once final results are verified, BCAA will publish the Top 10 “Worst Roads” List and share complete survey results with municipalities, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and other road authorities to encourage improvements. Roads which receive 10 or more votes will be highlighted in the “Worst Roads” report to government, and communities are encouraged to work together to vote for roads that residents collectively feel need improvements or repairs.
The BCAA “Worst Roads” survey defines a ‘worst road’ as any piece of paved infrastructure—including a bridge or tunnel—meant for public use, which exhibits any of the following characteristics:
• has damaging potholes or crumbling pavement
• needs resurfacing
• is often heavily congested
• has inadequate road markings or signs
• is poorly designed for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists to share safely
BCAA over 817,000 Members, BCAA provides an array of home, auto, travel and life insurance services, and is renowned for its legendary roadside assistance. J.D. Power has ranked BCAA “Highest In Customer Satisfaction among Home Insurance Providers in Western Canada” two years in a row (2012 and 2013) - details at jdpower.com. Now in its 108th year, BCAA has over $460 million in annual sales, 27 locations and over 900 employees. To learn more about BCAA’s Community Impact Programs and the other benefits of BCAA Membership, visit bcaa.com.