New high-occupancy toll lanes will open along a stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Way in the fall as part of a pilot project aimed at improving traffic flow, Transportation Minister Stephen Del Duca has announced.
The lanes, which replace existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, will be placed between Trafalgar Road in Oakville and Guelph Line in Burlington as of Sept. 15.
Vehicles with two or more occupants will still be allowed to travel in the lanes for free but now single drivers will have the option of purchasing a permit to use them.
Up to 1,000 permits will be made available through a draw every three months and those chosen in the draw will be able to purchase one for $180 or $60 a month.
Permit holders will then be allowed to renew for a maximum of two additional three-month terms.
Applications for the first draw will be accepted on the ServiceOntario website from Aug. 1 to 21.
For the initial draw, only 500 permits will be available though the number will increase in subsequent draws.
“HOT lanes have the ability to help the whole highway system move faster by relieving pressure from regular lanes and by providing an option for motorists who are willing to pay a small fee,” Del Duca said on Wednesday. “We are providing drivers with one more choice to consider that will help their commutes move more smoothly.”
HOT lanes won't turn profit
Once fully implemented the four-year pilot project will be “revenue neutral” with the province generating just enough revenue to cover the cost of the initiative.
As for changes that drivers should be aware of, Del Duca said that the only visible difference will be new signage.
The Transportation Minister, however, said the province will seek out innovative new technologies that can be used to monitor compliance and traffic flow from behind the scenes.
“We have an enthusiastic and world-leading Ontario-based cluster of technology companies that are partnering with governments around the world to develop and implement exciting technologies that significantly reduce the need for traditional infrastructure on tolled roadways,” he said. “That is why we are using the QEW pilot as an opportunity to work with and grow this industry.”
The QEW pilot project is expected to last for four years and Del Duca said his government sees it as the first step towards introducing a “network of fully electronic HOT lanes across the region.”
The province also intends to introduce HOT lanes on Highway 427 after it is extended to Major Mackenzie Drive. Those lanes aren’t expected to go into service until 2021.
In a statement issued on Thursday, PC Transportation Critic Michael Harris said the QEW toll lanes are more about “digging into our wallets than easing congestion or emissions.”
“Instead of actually easing congestion and emissions, the sell-off of one-thousand $180 permits is a pay-to-pollute proposition; adding more congestion to the HOV lanes, and deterring the average commuter from emission-reducing carpooling HOVs were intended to encourage,” he said.
