Ontario is considering updating the Highway Traffic Act to allow all drivers to use HOV lanes during off-peak hours. <\/p>\n
Lone drivers battling gridlock may soon be able to make use of carpool lanes to get around Ontario highways faster during certain times of the day. <\/p>\n
The Ford government is proposing changes to the Highway Traffic Act that would allow single-occupant vehicles to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes during off-peak hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cGridlock is costing our economy billions of dollars every year and robbing Ontario drivers of valuable time and quality of life,\u201d Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBy allowing single-occupant vehicles to use HOV lanes during off-peak hours, we would help keep drivers moving across the province, so they can spend less time in traffic and more time with their families and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government has not yet defined what times would constitute off-peak hours, but officials say that will be determined through consultations and by analyzing traffic data. <\/p>\n
The new off-peak hours would be set out in regulation after being finalized later this year. The changes would apply to all existing, planned and future HOV lanes. <\/p>\n
If finalized, the proposed changes would be implemented by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Changes would save drivers time, province says<\/p>\n
Government data show that as of 2022, single-occupant vehicles represented 72 per cent of vehicles on provincial highways. <\/p>\n
Sarkaria\u2019s office said Ministry of Transportation modelling shows the proposed changes would improve travel times for all users, with average speeds increasing in both HOV and general-purpose lanes across major highways during off-peak hours.<\/p>\n
Details about the projected time savings from the modelling have not yet been shared publicly. <\/p>\n
Currently, HOV lanes are restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants. Other vehicles that are allowed to use the lanes include buses, licensed taxis, green-plate vehicles, airport limousines, motorcycles and emergency vehicles.<\/p>\n
Lone drivers who win High-Occupancy Toll permits through a lottery can also pay to access HOV lanes on sections of the Queen Elizabeth Way, Highway 403 and Highway 410.<\/p>\n
There are currently 237 kilometres of HOV lanes in the province, with another 146 kilometres planned. <\/p>\n
Commercial vehicles longer than 6.5 metres would still be restricted from using HOV lanes under the proposed changes, the province says. <\/p>\n
A study released in late 2024<\/a> estimated that congestion costs the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area close to $50 billion a year. <\/p>\n Last year Manhattan, N.Y. introduced a congestion toll<\/a> to deal with gridlock, a move many congestion experts applauded, but some politicians decried. <\/p>\n