Even with HSR in the future, the 401 should have 3 lanes in each direction from end to end.
I support the 3 lanes and have been calling for them far too long.
Add a 4th for steep inclines for truckers and banning them out right from using the passing lane period. Taking it one step further, have photo cameras setup to catch any illegal trucker in that passing lane.
It made no different to truckers in the US where signs said no trucks in the left or left 2 lanes as well HOV, they used them.
In many places, it took up to 10 miles for one truck to pass another and seen this in Canada as well.
HOV lanes were a joke as no one obey the rules including me as most were either 6-10 or 3-7 5 days a week. I first obey the rules until 18 wheelers started to pass me in that HOV lane. Some start and finish 15-20 miles from the city centre and disappear or start about 3 miles from the downtown area. At least there are very few HOV lanes unlike our roads.
Some places have EZ pass HOV lanes that reveries depending on the time of day. that takes photos of your plates like the 407 setup.
One thing that should happen, getting those Sunday/slow poke drivers out of that passing lane if it means setting up cameras for that lane. It bad from time to time on the 401, but a real bottleneck in the US for this year trip. In some cases, there were 10 or more sitting that passing lane with no traffic in the other lane or 2.