High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are coming to the QEW by the end of the summer.
The province has reserved a section of the highway between Trafalgar Road in Oakville and Guelph Line in Burlington to test the pilot project which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 15.
The plan announced last December calls for existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on the QEW to be converted into HOT lanes while still allowing two or more occupants of a vehicle to ride for free.
Single occupant drivers will be given the option to purchase a monthly permit to use them.
The province says approximately 1,000 applicants will be selected to purchase permits through a draw. The permit will cost $180 for a three-month term.
The public can purchase them online from August 1 to August 21 through the Service Ontario website.
The province is also issuing a Request for Information to test new tolling technologies and the future monitoring of HOT lanes.
“Possible technologies include telematics, radio frequency identification, video-analytics, GPS, and infrared cameras,” the province said in a media release.
“The pilot will be used to inform long-term planning for future HOT lane implementation and will also support Ontario’s innovation sector by providing an opportunity to test emerging traffic management and tolling technologies.”
The province plans to implement HOT lanes on the Highway 427 extension from south of Highway 409 to north of Rutherford Road in York Region when it opens in 2021.
VIDEO: Liberal government introduces plans for HOT lanes