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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 24, 2016 | 14 QEW toll lanes to debut Sept. 15 -- $180 for 3 months by Natalie Paddon Hamilton Spectator A pilot project allowing lone drivers to pay to use carpool lanes on the Queen Elizabeth Way between Burlington and Oakville will launch in September. Starting Sept. 15, existing High-OccupancyVehicle (HOV) lanes from Guelph Line to Trafalgar Road will be designated HighOccupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in both directions. Vehicles with two or more people will still be able to use the lanes in the 15.5-kilometre stretch for free, while those driving alone will have to buy a permit to do so, according to a news release from the Ministry of Transportation. The main goal of the pilot, which could last up to four years, is to help manage congestion, while continuing to provide a carpooling incentive, the ministry said. The permits will cost $180 for a three-month term and will be available to a limited number of applicants who will be selected through a draw. Approximately 1,000 permits will be available for each three-month term. Applications will be accepted online from Aug. 1-21 through ServiceOntario. Permits will be valid for the first term from The QEW through Oakville. | Oakville Beaver file photo Your Backyard Oasis by Call Ken for your free quote - Phone: 905-517-0461 Dealer for Sept. 15 to Dec. 31. A ministry spokesperson previously told the Spectator the revenue from the pilot is expected to be "modest." The idea is not sitting well with environmentalists and the NDP . "I don't like it," Lynda Lukasik, executive director of Environment Hamilton, previously told the Spectator. "It means people can avoid appropriate behaviour by buying their way out. "To me this is sending a mixed message. The lane should be common ground for people who have more than one person in their car. "That's what really bugs me about it. It gives a privilege to someone who shouldn't have the privilege, just because they can afford to pay for it." Mark Ferguson, a senior research associate with the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics, said "the HOT lane idea is not new. It has been in the U.S. for a good 20 years." He previously told the Spectator there is a different culture in the U.S. when it comes to toll roads, which has led to an estimated 500 kilometres of HOT lanes south of the border. In the U.S.--where there are so many toll roads already-- turning some highways into partial toll roads is an easier sell. "It's interesting that we don't have more toll roads in Ontario, like other places in the world," said Ferguson. Elliott Silverstein, manager of government relations at CAA South Central Ontario, said doing a small pilot, rather than a broad rollout, is a preferable way to introduce HOT lanes to the province. "I think doing a small stretch of highway and use it as a pilot allows not only a chance for the government to understand the system, but motorists as well." But the big question, he previously said, is whether drivers will take to the idea. "That's the question we don't know." Established in 1997 Natural Light Patio Covers Trafalgar Ridge Montessori School register for september 2016 Lower elementary program grades 1, 2, and 3 Timberlite Pergola Blocks heat and UV rays but lets the light shine through! · Low teacher to student ratio · Enriched individualized curriculum · Enhanced French language instruction · Comprehensive Music and Physical Education programs Celebrating 20 years of excellence! We take pride in making your ideas become a reality. Meeting all your construction needs. A small school environment where all children thrive! 2379 trAfALgAr roAD, UNit 6 OAKVILLE · 905.257.5955 www.trms.ca admin@trms.ca Contact Web: www.vanamconstruction.com Phone: 905-517-0461 Facebook: VanAm Construction Our Guarantee On top of our many manufacturer warranties, we offer a one-year workmanship warranty. Design by: