MOOSE JAW — CAA Saskatchewan has launched its annual Worst Roads Campaign and has made Moose Jaw its first stop, considering the community had four of the top 10 spots in last year’s contest.
“The results show that people in the community care about safety and the roads they drive on each day,” said Angel Blair, CAA’s manager of communications and public relations.
“Residents we spoke with appreciate that city crews work hard each year to repair the roads,” she continued, “but want to point out and draw attention to specific roads like 13th Avenue Northwest — No. 9 on the CAA 2024 Worst Roads Top 10 list — that remain a safety concern year after year.”
Last year, Coteau Street West finished in fifth place, the Thunderbird Viaduct (Fourth Avenue Southwest bridge) placed sixth, 13th Avenue Northwest placed ninth and Fourth Avenue Southwest placed 10th — with all four facing major pothole problems.
CAA Saskatchewan pointed out that Saskatchewan is a landlocked province with over 250,000 kilometres of roads, which is more than any other province and thus requires more maintenance. That is why the campaign exists, so road users can nominate and vote for thoroughfares that cause them safety concerns.
CAA wants motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and passengers to nominate and vote for their worst, unsafe road from April 8 to 29 at caask.ca/worstroads. Road users are allowed to vote for one road every 24 hours, while the organization will announce the top 10 worst roads on April 30.
Furthermore, it will award one $1,000 Shell gift card through a random draw from all eligible voters, with the organization drawing the winner’s name on April 30.
During the four-week campaign, CAA Saskatchewan will share images and concerns from road users across the province who say they have the worst, most unsafe streets. Furthermore, CAA’s Worst Roads roving reporter will visit some of the most awful locations from past years.
All road user interviews will appear on CAA Saskatchewan’s YouTube channel, as the organization spotlights other streets that made the organization’s list last year. CAA will also use its other social media channels — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn — to promote the campaign for nominations and votes.
The CAA Worst Roads website includes a Google Map Locator that visualizes vote distribution across the province. It will pinpoint the locations of the nominated roads receiving votes. Furthermore, CAA will provide weekly updates listing the current top 10 worst roads.
Potholes and crumbling pavement have been the most prominent safety issues during the CAA Worst Roads campaigns, the organization said. However, road users have also identified cracks, general disrepair, poor signage, congestion, and unsafe infrastructure as concerns.
CAA’s Worst Roads campaign is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to the province’s worst, most unsafe roads, the organization added. At the end of the campaign, CAA Saskatchewan will send reports of roads voted on to government and business leaders to hopefully spark conversation and action.
