Toronto-area commuters are turning to online ad sites for carpool opportunities as temporary lane restrictions cause traffic headaches.
Rush hour traffic has been squeezed from three lanes to two on major Toronto roadways ahead of the Pan Am Games. Temporary high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes have been added to the Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway, Lake Shore Boulevard and Jane Street to accommodate for an increase in traffic during the Games.
The HOV lanes, which are also on Highways 401, 404 and 427, are meant to help athletes and officials get to and from events without being hindered by heavy traffic. As a result, those who are not accredited to use the lanes, or have fewer than three people in their vehicles, have been stuck in stop-and-go traffic in the other lanes.
Some drivers who normally commute alone have turned to the Internet to track down two or more passengers so they can use the HOV lanes.
By Tuesday afternoon, several ads had been posted on online classifieds site Kijiji by GTA drivers looking to avoid the traffic jams.
"Looking for 2 people who want to join me in the HOV lane," one ad said.
"I am looking for car pool buddies in order to take advantage of the HOV lane during the Pan Am games," another wrote.
Another person wrote that he or she would travel downtown as a passenger for a fee of $10, which would cover their TTC fare to get back home and a snack.
"If you need a 3rd person to hop on the HOV lanes heading into the downtown core and avoid major traffic during the day time or evening please let me know and I will schedule you in," the poster wrote.
