Toronto

Ford government says allowing single drivers in high-occupancy vehicle lanes will help fight gridlock

Highway lanes designated for carpoolers will soon be opened up to solo drivers at certain times of the day, Ontario's transportation minister said Tuesday.

The Ford government’s latest attempt to reduce gridlock — which has included an ongoing effort to remove bike lanes in downtown Toronto and a $9-million study on the feasibility of digging a subterranean highway under Highway 401 — will allow anyone to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes during off-peak hours, Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a news release.

HOV lanes, as described on the province's website, are already intended to help manage congestion. They are also designed to encourage carpooling and reduce "transportation-related" emissions by getting more cars off the road.

Single-occupant vehicles made up 72 per cent of traffic on provincial highways as of 2022, according to government data shared in the release Tuesday.

Right now, only vehicles with two or more occupants, buses, licensed taxis, green-plate vehicles, airport limousines, motorcycles and emergency vehicles can use HOV lanes.

HOV lanes are already available to some solo drivers, depending on what they're driving. If you're in a low-carbon vehicle like a plug-in hybrid or electric car, you don't need a passenger.

Commercial vehicles longer than 6.5 metres would still be restricted from using HOV lanes under the proposed changes.