Driving during Pan Am games? Plan ahead

The Ontario government updated its transportation plan for the 2015 Pan Am games, and it includes a big ask from the driving public.

Already-frustrated commuters from the GTHA are being warned to plan ahead, because the Pan Am transportation plan will cut off a lane of traffic along one the of the most heavily-traveled corridors in the country. 235 km of temporary HOV lanes will be in place from June 29th to August 18th, 5 am to midnight.

That includes the entire QEW, Gardiner Expressway, using the existing HOV lanes in Halton, through the 403 in Hamilton, right down Main St to Tim Hortons Field.

Access to the lanes is restricted to Pan Am athletes, family, officials, media, and carpools of 3 people or more. Current HOV rules allow two or more people.

Both the Vancouver and London Olympics had similar restrictions, but transportation minister Steven Del Duca is quick to point out that car poolers will have more access.

“The temporary HOV lanes are not to be exclusively used by athletes, or volunteers or people only affiliated with the games themselves. They’re open to the public if the public chooses to carpool.”

There will also be further lane restrictions for commuters who drive across the Skyway into the Niagara region. There will be temporary HOV lane restrictions for specific events, not the entire games.

In the update today, we also learned that the new James St N GO station will see an increase of 2 trains per event along with circulating shuttle buses that will transport spectators the nearly 4 km from station to stadium.

The games don’t begin until July 10th, but these restrictions are being put in place to get drivers used to this mode of travel before hand. Del Duca says that they will update the public once again in the spring.