A year and a half after southbound HOV lanes opened on Highway 404, more are under construction so car-sharing commuters heading north can enjoy a smoother ride.
The highway, which extends north of the Don Valley Parkway to just past Newmarket, is already equipped with the high occupancy vehicle lanes going south, and new ones are being added in the opposite direction.
Some commuters are happy to see crews working to add more HOV lanes to the busy highway.
"They're quick. People get on them and they move along," one commuter said.
Others, who were traveling alone, weren't as thrilled.
"I guess they're pretty effective for the people who use them--but for those who can't they're not," said another man.
Police said that the lanes are good incentive for drivers to double-up to avoid the gridlock. They're so much faster that some lone commuters try to go HOV--and lose the time they gained getting pulled over and ticketed.
Police said that about 300 charges are laid every month against motorists on the 404 who break the law by driving in the HOV lanes without passengers.
"It tends to be aggressive drivers--selfish people," said Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Cam Woolley.
"These lanes are well-marked and signed and the people that we catch tend to be the same people who will run a red light or pass on the shoulder."
CTV's Galit Solomon conducted a two-hour survey on the 404 and found that 50 of the 1200 cars in the southbound HOV lanes only had one occupant.
The northbound HOV lanes are slated to open in the middle of July.
With a Report from CTV's Galit Solomon
