Ontario just got new HOV lanes with a new set of rules

Ontario drivers cruising down Highway 400 may have noticed an addition to the roadway: updated HOV lanes with a new set of rules.

The new lanes, now open on the southbound side of the highway in Vaughan, are no longer a single, straight HOV lane. The new design features a secondary transfer lane — something the Ministry of Transportation says will help with vehicles merging and make commuting easier.

The newly opened southbound HOV lanes on Highway 400 in Vaughan have a new design, including a transfer lane to help with merging 🚗

Learn how to use these new lanes by watching our HOV 101 video below 👇 pic.twitter.com/x0c4R6btCQ

— Ontario Ministry of Transportation (@ONtransport) October 7, 2021

The new transfer lanes will have diamond markers, like previous HOV lanes, and will be in spurts between striped buffer zones. Drivers will enter the transfer lane and adjust their speed, safely entering the HOV lane or merging back into the regular passing lane.

Existing rules about what vehicles can use HOV lanes continue to apply. This includes cars with two or more passengers and vehicles with green license plates, taxis, airport limousines, buses, emergency vehicles, and motorcycles.

Not everyone took too kindly to the updated design, with one person responding to the announcement on Twitter saying it was “clear as mud.” Others raised questions about the logistical issues of drivers from two lanes of traffic trying to merge into one short lane.

What happens when I enter from HOV to transfer lane while another car is entering from regular lane to transfer lane? Who will have the right of way?
If I slow down in transfer lane & the non HOV lanes are moving well, how do I enter the left regular lane which is the fastest?

— Rahul Kulkarni (@RahulVan3) October 9, 2021