Carpooling lanes shave up to 25 minutes off commutes

Carpooling lanes introduced to the Greater Toronto Area nearly a year ago have reduced travel times for some commuters by up to 25 minutes, transportation officials said Friday.

Two High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, reserved for vehicles carrying at least two people, were opened on southbound Highway 404 and both directions of Highway 403 in December 2005 with the expansion of an extra lane along each roadway.

"[It was] very successful, more successful than we had forecast them to be," said Patricia Boeckner of the provincial Ministry of Transportation, adding that more HOV lanes are planned.

Boeckner said carpooling commuters saved from five to 25 minutes during peak hours.

With carpoolers driving inHOV lanes, general purpose lanes were also freed up.

Faster commute, without speeding

But provincial police saysome commuters are abusing the HOV lanesby using them tozip by other vehicles at speeds beyond the legal limit.

"There is a feeling of drivers in the HOV lane that speed limits just do not apply and that is dangerously wrong," said Ontario Provincial Police Const. Graham Williamson.

In a traffic blitz along HOV lanes over the past two days, the OPP issued 120 tickets for speeding and for solo drivers in the carpool lanes.

Williamson said drivers seem to thinkeased gridlock gives them permission to speed.

More HOV lanes to come

Despite some speeding and misuse, the province plans to open additional carpooling lanes in the GTA.

An HOV lane on thenorthbound Highway 404 is currently under construction and expected to open in spring.

A studyis underway on whether it's feasible to widen a 17-kilometre stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Way from Burlington to Oakville with carpooling lanes in both directions.

All 400-series highways have enough demand to justify the addition of a carpooling lane, said Boeckner, but the province will only install HOV lanes on highways where an extra lane can be built.

The province will not convert existing lanes into carpooling lanes.