Fresh off the frustration of the Pan Am Games' high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, drivers in the GTA are bracing for the rollout of toll lanes -- but where those future lanes will be installed remains a mystery.
On Tuesday, Ontario's Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said the government is pushing forward with its plan to install high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in the GTA, Hamilton and possibly Ottawa.
"They are coming but we want to make sure we get it right," Del Duca told reporters.
The lanes are part of the Ontario Liberals' plan to generate new revenue needed to fund a transit and infrastructure expansion proposal designed to ease gridlock. Approximately $31 billion is needed to fund the project over the next 10 years.
Specific details about the toll lanes, however, have yet to be released. It's unclear on which stretches of highway solo drivers will have to pay in order to access lanes otherwise designated for vehicles with at least two occupants. (The lanes will remain free for multiple-occupant vehicles.)
During the 2015 Pan Am Games, rules surrounding the HOV lanes were temporarily changed. Vehicles with at least three occupants were allowed to use the lanes, causing frustration among many drivers. In one headline-grabbing case, a driver was charged after driving with two mannequins.
According to Del Duca, permanent HOV lanes are on the provincial government's radar to be converted into toll lanes. General lanes, however, such as those on Highway 401, will not be converted to HOT lanes.
"At this time, the plan would not be to remove a general-purpose lane," Del Duca said.
The province's existing HOV lanes are located on Highways 403, 404, 417 and the QEW. In total, there are 94 kilometres of HOV lanes.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss
