It's not exactly the rallying cry you'd expect to hear from Toronto, but we've come in third on a list we don't exactly want to be on.

The Municipal Roads Coalition has released its list of the worst roads in the province and a couple of old favourites are in the top 10.

Steeles Ave., long a contender for the most miserable street in Ontario, came in third in the survey.

And Bathurst St. managed to hit number 10. Both made the list last year and while Steeles has undergone some repairs between Bathurst and Yonge since then, the complaints continue to rage.

Both are prone to damage-causing potholes and ripped up asphalt.

New to the survey this year is Annette St., which the coalition complains features "unsealed cracks in the road that resemble crocodile skin patterns, and growing potholes on the outside lanes."

Sonia Turchyn knows the bumps and bruises of the road all too well, after it munched her car. "It had to have a total wheel alignment, a couple of flat tires and wheel balances at least two times a year," she explains of the potholes and uneven surfaces.

But the number one worst boulevard of broken rims belongs to a relatively obscure thoroughfare for those in the G.T.A. It's Cardwell Road in a place called the Township of Assiginack, which is located on the eastern portion of Manitoulin Island.

The avenue wins because of the sheer number of potholes, likely aggravated by the severe winters that the pavement has to endure.

The annual survey was taken by the Municipal Roads Coalition, an amalgamation of various concerned groups - like the C.A.A. and Road Builders -   who want to make infrastructure a part of the election campaign.

Incumbent David Miller refused to comment on the results Thursday, insisting he hadn't seen the report. "I am in the middle of an election campaign," he complains. "You know full well I haven't seen it. Give me a fair chance."

But rival Jane Pitfield wasn't steering clear of the controversy.

"If we let the infrastructure continue, defer it and let it crumble, Toronto will follow lower and lower in its standings," she laments.  

More than 5,000 people voted for the worst street across the province, and while it's hardly a scientific outcome, the results show there's a lot of disgruntled drivers out there.

Here's the list:

    1. Cardwell Road  (Township of Assiginack)
    2.  Limebank Road  (Ottawa)
    3. Steeles Avenue West  (Toronto/York Region)
    4. Western Road (London)
    5. Lansing Avenue  (Sudbury)
    6. Algonquin Boulevard  (Timmins)
    7. Flamborough Concession 8 West   (Hamilton)
    8. Airport Road  (Timmins)
    9. Thompson Road  (London)
  10. Bathurst Street  (Toronto)

  11. Carling Avenue  (Ottawa)
  12. Carlton Street   (St. Catharines)
  13.  Hespeler Road  (Cambridge)
  14.  Princess Street  (Kingston)
  15.  Fischer Hallman Road  (Kitchener)
  16.  Belrose Road   (Thunder Bay)
  17. Huron Church Road  (Windsor)
  18. Upper Wentworth Street (Hamilton)
  19. Annette Street  (Toronto)
  20. Notre Dame Avenue  (Sudbury)

Honourable Mention: Highway 17 in Ontario.

To see comments from voters, click here.

Who Will Pay For The Damage?

So you've been driving through Toronto's pothole ridden streets when your car hits one of those road ruts head on.

Before you know it, your front end is out of alignment and your back end is in spasm.

And your car's not so good, either.

If one of those gigantic gaps damages your automobile, do you have any way of getting the city or the province to repair it? Turns out you do, but like most things in government, you have to cut through some red tape to do it.

Here's how to stake your claim and undo the damage:

City of Toronto

First you have to prove it was the city's fault. Toronto's legal department never pays out a claim without a thorough investigation first.

Needless to say, the powers-that-be suggest you go through your insurance company first.

But if you decide to pursue the complaint, you have to submit it in writing. The claim has to include the time, date and location of the incident, a description of what happened, and a damage estimate.

And don't wait. Any such bid for compensation has to be done, in the city's underlined words, "immediately".

Address your note to:

City Clerk's Office,
City Hall,
100 Queen Street West,
Toronto.
M5H 2N2

Fax: (416) 392-1867

Or you can email:  clerk@toronto.ca

But even then you're not finished. Two weeks later, you'll get another letter in the mail acknowledging receipt of your complaint and if it's found valid, another form to fill out.

For more information, call (416) 397-4212.

Ontario Highways

The needs are similar to the city, but the envelope or email goes somewhere else.

Mail a comprehensive claim that includes the time, date and location where the damage occurred, and include copies of any relevant documents - like a repair bill or an estimate.

Send it to:

Management Board Secretariat
Risk Management & Insurance Services
700 University Avenue,
6th Floor,
Toronto.
M7A 2S4

Here's where more government red tape comes in. You can fax the information if you want to (416) 314-4444 - but you have to follow it up with a mailed letter either way. And you may have to wait up to three months for an answer.

Call (416) 314-3443 for more information.