Pan Am transportation

(Update)

Gridlock during rush hour is a fact of life southern Ontario. But during the Pan Am games next summer, the traffic situation could be a nightmare. The Liberals unveiled a plan Friday for 150 kilometres of temporary carpool lanes from Oshawa to Hamilton when the games get underway. The lanes will take out active traffic lanes on highways like the QEW, 401 and the Gardiner Expressway. The idea is to avoid more tie ups — but critics say they’ll cause traffic chaos.

The temporary high occupancy vehicle lanes are meant to shuttle athletes and media between Pan Am venues. Just like the current carpool lanes, other drivers with at least one other person in the car can use them as well. But the Conservatives say they’ll hinder more than they’ll help.

The proposed routes would mean a continuous network of HOV lanes from Hamilton to Oshawa to better service Pan Am venue’s like Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field which is hosting soccer during the games.

Sports Minister Michael Chan says the plan calls for a 20% reduction in traffic during the games: “Yes, transportation is always a challenge. That’s why today we roll out a framework so that the public can have an idea of what we’re doing.”

The budget for transportation during the games is 75 to 90 million dollars. And Chan says they’re on target.

Unlike the existing QEW carpool lanes, the Pan Am routes will not mean highway expansion. Instead, they’ll temporarily convert existing lanes of traffic to carpool-only.

“I don’t see much of an education plan. I don’t see much of an enforcement plan and I see traffic chaos happening during the Pan Am games.”

PC critic Rod Jackson calls the plan unrealistic — and says organizers should be banking on a 20% traffic increase to ready for a worst case scenario: “I think its naïve and frankly somewhat absurd to think there is going to be a 20% decrease based on just hoping people will do the right thing and stay out of their cars.”

Drivers we spoke with had mixed feelings about adding more lanes just for people who carpool:

“I think they should. They come in handy. When I drive on the highway I’d say 8 out of 10 times I use it.”

“I see people going in those lanes when they’re not supposed to. So why even have them?”

Organizers are also trying to ease Pan Am traffic by working with big business to keep trucks off major roads during the day as the games are going on. As well, each event ticket will also double as a transit pass.