Motorcycles on HOV coming for Ontario Highways? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Motorcycles on HOV coming for Ontario Highways?

V-Tom

V-Tom

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One day last week I had 680 News on and the ontario Premier was flying with the traffic reporter (it was his 40th anniversary.) I am sure the Premier said she was working on allowing Motorcycels to use the HOV lanes when riding solo.

Did anyone else hear this or see any other mention of this?

..Tom
 
You heard correctly, "The Liberal government plans to add new high-occupancy vehicle lanes to sections of Highways 401, 404, 410 and 427... carpooling drivers could continue to use the lanes for free, while solo drivers could do so for a fee." http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/02/ontario-budget-2013-2/

"A growing acceptance of various revenue-generating measures proposed earlier this year, such as tolls for solo drivers using High Occupancy Vehicle lanes." http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha..._premier_wynne_on_board_for_transit_hume.html
 
I'll be exceptionally happy if they add an HOV lane to the 401 & allow motorcycles on them. There will be no excuse not to ride

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RockerGuy said:
I'll be exceptionally happy if they add an HOV lane to the 401 & allow motorcycles on them. There will be no excuse not to ride

Sent from my tablet using my paws
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I hope it helps but I don't see that making much difference because there is just too much traffic and they want to restrict it further.
Think about it, you are sitting in 3 lanes during rush hour going 5km/h while the left lane is empty...lol

The whole Express/Collectors needs a rethink.
If you think about it the left lane should never come to a halt.

We will likely get toll sections or something like that, pay for the right to drive in the express lane/HOV lanes.
 
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I have no issue with tolls for certain sections as long as it is not as ridiculous as the 407.
 
-D- said:
We will likely get toll sections or something like that, pay for the right to drive in the express lane/HOV lanes.
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This is exactly what they are talking about; toll lanes. The tolls are supposed to go towards paying for transit improvements. Nice theory if you discount two things; we're already suffocating on GTA highways and any further reduction in general use lanes will bring us to a grinding halt, and taxes eventually, if not immediately, go into 'general coffers.'
 
-D- said:
I hope it helps but I don't see that making much difference because there is just too much traffic and they want to restrict it further.
Think about it, you are sitting in 3 lanes during rush hour going 5km/h while the left lane is empty...lol

The whole Express/Collectors needs a rethink.
If you think about it the left lane should never come to a halt.

We will likely get toll sections or something like that, pay for the right to drive in the express lane/HOV lanes.
Click to expand...

Are you saying one extra lane will not help?
It will certainly remove the vehicles that are occupied leaving more space for others
 
iFly55 said:
You heard correctly, "The Liberal government plans to add new high-occupancy vehicle lanes to sections of Highways 401, 404, 410 and 427... carpooling drivers could continue to use the lanes for free, while solo drivers could do so for a fee." http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/02/ontario-budget-2013-2/

"A growing acceptance of various revenue-generating measures proposed earlier this year, such as tolls for solo drivers using High Occupancy Vehicle lanes." http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha..._premier_wynne_on_board_for_transit_hume.html
Click to expand...

This is will interesting to see how it will be administered. A baby in the back seat might be hard to see so I wonder if these cars will be charged a fee.
 
iFly55 said:
This system is being used in Los Angeles, CA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_occupancy_toll_lane#Variable_tolls

http://youtu.be/ucSZTxlXpg4

If you want to use the HOV lane, you need to have a transponder that is switchable from 'Solo Driver' to '2+ Driver'.
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Transportation Minister has always said that they are HOV lanes first and foremost. Even when they added green vehicles, or allowed empty buses or limousines to use them to "maintain" their schedules. M/C only allowed when there are two occupants.
I've argued in the past that opening the the lanes to classes, or groups of vehicles makes sense. We would make better use of the lanes (which should be designated as "priority lanes" rather than HOV), and still have clear rules about who can use them. Allowing anyone in for a fee is not consistent at all with the objective. I still maintain that allowing bikes to use it is safer when it's available. It allows riders to travel in a lane that, at least legally, has no access on one side and limited access on the other. I'm not suggesting we should build lanes for motorcycles, but we shouldn't have to pay a toll for could be a safer lane if the lane already exists.
 
silverbullet132 said:
I have no issue with tolls for certain sections as long as it is not as ridiculous as the 407.
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But it HAS to be as "ridiculous" as the 407. If you price it too low, too many people use it and there is no advantage.

I take the 407 all the time in my car and I don't find it "ridiculous" at all. I worked at Leslie and 401 for 10 months; I live at Major Mack and 400 and I'd leave work at 3:30. If I got on the 401, I'd get to the 400 at 4:15 - by that time the 400 would already be backed up down to 7 AT LEAST, sometimes finch, I'd get home at just before 5. If I took Leslie up to the 407 and across to the 400, I'd be getting off the 407 right about at 4 and walking in the front at 4:15 since I was bypassing most of the 400 backlog. It cost $5 a day for the one trip but I was saving almost that much in gas from not sitting in stop and go traffic, plus at least 45 minutes every day.

I for one say build more toll roads, as long as they're not removing any lanes of regular highway.

I say they should give that land in between the north and south lanes of the 427 and 410 to the 407 for free; have the 407 build two toll lanes in each direction at their own cost and in exchange for the rights to operate there, they are responsible for maintaining the rest of the existing lanes. Drivers get two extra lanes on unused land and taxpayers get a break on not having to pay highway maintenance.


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In LA, toll lanes flow like a charm, while the rest of interstate is a parking lot, which is a lot easier to filter for motorcycles.
 
I think we need more toll roads around, and I'd support a small fee to get into the city (as per London) but ONLY and ONLY IF the funds are used to funnel back into public transit expansion and road maintenance budgets. If the funds go into the 'general coffers' of the city I don't support it. Money should flow into dedicated projects for improvement of transit within the region. I think more people would support the fees/tolls if the money made was transparent and used accordingly.
 
Money grab, nothing more....

They will NOT build new lanes, they will take over existing lanes, like they did with QEW, 403 etc

So you paying through your nose for fuel tax (remember it went from 8% tax to 13% tax a few years ago, anyone notice where the extra revenue is going?), but thats not enough, now they will create even more road chaos to force you to now, once again, pay to use the roads.

I'm glad that some people here love the 407. Fact is, that highway would have been there whether it got sold and turned into a toll road or not. It would have alleviated 401 congestion and made both highways bearable during rush hour traffic. Now we have the 407, the highest toll road priced highway in North America and 401 the most congested highway in North America. Yaaay for Politicans screwing us over.
 
This is not a solution, it's another problem. We've been paying towards transit for decades. Government has simply been misappropriating those funds for other purposes. They need to learn to operate within their allotted budgets rather than just going back to us, every time, to pay for what we're already paying for. Use fuel taxes for roads and transit, and you've already got the funding.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
This is not a solution, it's another problem. We've been paying towards transit for decades. Government has simply been misappropriating those funds for other purposes. They need to learn to operate within their allotted budgets rather than just going back to us, every time, to pay for what we're already paying for. Use fuel taxes for roads and transit, and you've already got the funding.
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Slush funds and shell games. A bit off the point but a city councillor commented that the only way of getting rid of an incompetent city employee was to promote them. (Peter Principle) We're doomed.
 
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