Carling Avenue clinches top spot — again — as Ottawa’s worst road
Posted Jun 4, 2026 01:16:58 PM.
Last Updated Jun 4, 2026 01:17:04 PM.
For several years in a row, Carling Avenue continues to dominate the top spot as drivers’ least favourite road in the City of Ottawa.
According to data collected by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), the roadway home to potholes, lane closures and that traverses several other major traffic chokepoints in Ottawa, is still the city’s worst road.
The top five worst roads as voted by people include:
- Carling Avenue
- Bronson Avenue
- Innes Road
- Bank Street
- Richmond Road
Despite its notoriety in the nation’s capital, no Ottawa streets appear on the Ontario ranking of the worst roads list. Top spot goes to Hamilton’s Barton Street for the third time, with several Greater Toronto Area roads filling out the top 10.
Brian Pirvu, Government Relations Consultant for CAA South Central Ontario, told CityNews that voters described all those roads as being filled with potholes, with uneven pavement, poor road maintenance, and too much traffic congestion.
“The CAA Worst Roads campaign gives Ontarians a voice and helps shine a light on the roads that need attention most,” he said. “When people speak up, it helps drive action and ensures governments understand where investments are needed to keep communities safe and moving.”
Pirvu said they run the voting campaign each year as a way to motivate municipalities to do something about road conditions.
