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California Prius Drivers May Lose HOV Access

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Danny, Sep 28, 2009.

  1. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    It doesn't look good for the future of solo-driven Priuses in California carpool lanes. The stickers granting that privilege to 85,000 hybrid owners are set to expire Jan. 1, 2011. There are proposals to extend the deadline, but they would exclude most of the vehicles that originally qualified for the program, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic hybrid and the original Honda Insight. "We're bummed," said Cathy Margolin, president of the 250-member Orange County Prius Club. "I drive from Newport Beach to Torrance to teach four times a week, and it saves me an hour every day on the 405." The rest of the article is below, but here's a great quote: "I live in Santa Monica and you can't swing a dead cat here without hitting a Prius, so the bill served its purpose," said Will Kepper, who has a sticker on his 2001 Prius.
    Solo hybrid drivers may lose carpool lane privileges​
    Stickers allowing them in HOV lanes expire Jan. 1, 2011, but only the most economical may get extensions.​
    By Martin Zimmerman​
    September 28, 2009​
    The days may be numbered for hybrid car owners who have enjoyed traveling solo in California's carpool lanes.​
    The stickers granting that privilege to 85,000 hybrid owners are set to expire Jan. 1, 2011. There are proposals in Sacramento to extend the deadline, but they would exclude most of the vehicles that originally qualified for the program, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic hybrid and the original Honda Insight.​
    "We're bummed," said Cathy Margolin, president of the 250-member Orange County Prius Club. "I drive from Newport Beach to Torrance to teach four times a week, and it saves me an hour every day on the 405."​
    For hybrid owners, losing their stickers would be more than an inconvenience. The carpool lane exemption added $1,000 to $2,000 to the value of a used hybrid. Some used-car dealers say they are already seeing that premium shrink as the deadline gets closer.​
    "We've definitely seen those Priuses and Civic hybrids move back toward normal pricing," said Carey Caldwell, a local purchasing manager for CarMax, which operates a national chain of used-car dealerships.​
    The goal of the 2004 law that created the sticker program was to encourage the purchase of advanced-technology vehicles that delivered better fuel economy and produced lower emissions.​
    Gasoline-electric hybrids with combined city-highway mileage of 45 miles per gallon or better were eligible for a yellow sticker. The number of yellow stickers was capped at 85,000, and the last one was given out in February 2007.​
    White stickers granting the same carpool-lane exemption were authorized for electric cars and vehicles powered by alternative fuels such as natural gas. There was no limit placed on these stickers, and so far about 9,500 have been given out.​
    All the stickers were originally set to expire in 2008, but the Legislature extended that deadline to 2011.​
    Now, lawmakers want to up the ante. A bill by Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) that the Assembly passed this year would extend the carpool lane exemption to 2016 but limit it to drivers of vehicles powered by electricity, natural gas or some other alternative fuel.​
    A competing Senate bill included hybrids but only those that achieve city-highway fuel economy of 65 mpg or better -- well beyond the official ratings of the current crop of hybrids.​
    "What we're saying is that the hybrid isn't good enough anymore," said Adam Keigwin, chief of staff for Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), sponsor of the Senate bill.​
    He said the Senate also wants to examine the whole issue of carpool lane exemptions before deciding to grant another reprieve to sticker holders.​
    Many of the state's carpool lanes have become so clogged that California risks losing federal highway funding. Forcing thousands of driver-only hybrids back into the regular freeway lanes is seen as one way to reduce the congestion.​
    Even some hybrid owners acknowledge that the original intent of the law has clearly been achieved.​
    "I live in Santa Monica and you can't swing a dead cat here without hitting a Prius, so the bill served its purpose," said Will Kepper, who has a sticker on his 2001 Prius.​
    The issue isn't likely to be settled until the Legislature reconvenes next year.​
    Makers of alternative-fuel vehicles fret that failing to extend the deadline for the white stickers could remove an important incentive for potential buyers.​
    Fleet operators are important customers for the natural-gas-powered Honda GX, and the carpool lane stickers are a big part of the appeal, said Todd Mittleman, a spokesman for the Japanese automaker.​
    "Our customers are finding them indispensable in Southern California traffic," he said.​
    Sharon Delugach of Los Angeles, a 2003 Prius owner and chief of staff for an L.A. school board member, knows the feeling.​
    "I had no idea they were going to expire," she said of her stickers. "I thought I was set for life."​
    Source: LA Times Photo: Flickr
     
    #1 Danny, Sep 28, 2009
  2. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Was there a cap at 85,000, or is that the total number of applicants?
     
    #2 Soylent, Sep 28, 2009
  3. scotty321

    scotty321 Apple Mac Expert

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    It's ridiculous. I live in Los Angeles, the traffic is horrendous, but the real solution is A REAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

    We're the largest city in the nation yet we have no public transportation, except for an unreliable and shrinking bus system. But the city doesn't seem to be moving too quickly on the idea of public transportation.

    At one point in the 1950's, we had some of the best public transportation in the country, but it was bought out and dismantled by General Motors. This is explained in the documentary "Taken For A Ride", available for viewing here: Taken for a Ride
     
    #3 scotty321, Sep 28, 2009
  4. Ogo

    Ogo Prius Owner since 2008

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    Maybe it is now time to dismantle General Motors and build some public transit there ...

    Otherwise I agree. Been in LA for a week as a tourist and yes you really need to rent a car there to get somewhere. So I did. :eek:

    Which is the opposite what I would do in Paris or London. :D
     
    #4 Ogo, Sep 28, 2009
  5. ceric

    ceric New Member

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    I am all for raising the threshold to 65mpg and beyond for the new stickers.
    By raising the limit, it encourages new technology (such as Plug-in) to be more attractive to consumers. Its funny to me that Toyota/Ford are against raising the limit since they have no vehicle that qualifies, while GM is all for it (same time frame as Volt's release). I don't recall that Toyota was against the yellow stickers (45mpg threshold) - only Honda Civic/Insight and Prius qualified. It is just business. Not about right or wrong.
     
    #5 ceric, Sep 28, 2009
  6. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

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    It was originally capped at 75,000 but they added another 10,000 (so 85,000).
    We will miss it....and yes I was quoted" I was bummed"..
     
    #6 inventor00, Sep 28, 2009
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    There's no "CA Prius Drivers May Lose HOV Access" about it. The legislation was written with a sunset clause, and just like getting old ... eventually it expires. The way the bill was written, one can truly say, "CA Prius Drivers SHALL Lose HOV Access" on the appointed day set in the regulation.

    It'll be a drag that I won't get to save some time now & then ... but hey ... do you REALLY want to drive solo in the car pool lane? You legally still can. Simply convert your Prius to straight natural gas ... or pull the ICE all together & convet the Prius to straight EV. There a a bunch of Crown Vic's running around by LAX & John Wayne Airports that run solo / deadhead in their taxis and airport shuttle vans simply because they'e on natural gas. You can STILL get the white stickers ... and THEY aren't set to expire ... at least not yet.

    .
     
    #7 hill, Sep 28, 2009
  8. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Your reasons are valid... and here's another:
    CA Prius Drivers can STILL use the HOV lane. They'll just also have to be a carpool. Surprise!

    You can still get them... but they're currently set to expire at the same time as the yellows. It would appear that white will be extended, however.
     
    #8 darelldd, Sep 28, 2009
  9. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    I'm all for the 65mpg requirement because the current HOV requirement was created almost a decade ago (well, it seems like it). It's about time we update and increase the requirement to continue to drive innovation. ...But will Volkswagen/Audi's lobbyists be knocking on California's door and demanding that the non-hybrid TDI's receive an HOV sticker also?

    More appropriately though, I think the requirement needs to be stair-stepped. For 2011, the law should say "50mpg or more and you receive a sticker that is good for five years." For 2012, the law says "55mpg or more..." For 2013, "60mpg or more..." And so on.
     
    #9 Rybold, Sep 28, 2009
  10. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    Are the lanes to save gas or reward people with hybrids? Looks like it would make more sence to have SUV's in these lanes rather than the Prius anyway. The Prius will get good FE while sitting in traffic. Need to keep the SUV's moving.
     
    #10 wvgasguy, Sep 29, 2009
  11. dipper

    dipper Senior Member

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    It is designed for SUV (ie Carpooling), its the owners' fault for not using the SUV with carpooling in mind. So why reward bad car purchase habit by letting SUV be on diamond lane as single driver?

    The law was intended to convince people to buy into alternative vehicles. I say it did its job really well and should expire as intended. I am all for 65+ mpg cars going forward. This will push the envelope of car makers and car sales of advance technology cars.
     
    #11 dipper, Sep 30, 2009
  12. ronhowell

    ronhowell Active Member

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    Totally agree. HOV lanes were originally created to REDUCE the number of vehicles on the freeways, not provide benefits to hybrids, EVs or NG powered vehicles carrying only ONE passenger, which does nothing to alleviate congestion.

    It makes far more sense to provide a tax benefit to the higher MPG/ less polluting vehicles by some means than allowing them be driven solo in the HOV lanes.

    High Occupancy Vehicles means exactly that ... at least 2 passengers or more. 4 people in an SUV gets better gas mileage per passenger-mile than even the latest Prius.
     
    #12 ronhowell, Oct 1, 2009
  13. KTPhil

    KTPhil Active Member

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    "HOV lanes were originally created to REDUCE the number of vehicles on the freeways"

    In SoCal, this is not the reason. The area fails federal clean air act standards, and has for years. This could mean the loss of federal highway dollars. The mitigation of HOV lanes was a way to do SOMEthing about the pollution, and maintain federal funding. Allowing hybrids and other low pollution vehicles in the carpool lanes was a later means to further reduce pollution by encouraging the purchase of low emission vehicles. It's all about smog, not congestion.
     
    #13 KTPhil, Oct 4, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  14. ranchogirl

    ranchogirl New Member

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    Is there any new news on this? My husband's Prius has 125,000 miles on it...and it's only 4 years old. We don't know if it will make it another year. I sure hope so. If the deadline will be extended, we will replace it with another one low miles. If it won't, we will replace it with something else (when it's time). Still running good now and gets a LOT of use. The stickers make a HUGE difference in his commute.

    (We have another Prius too but sans stickers)
     
    #14 ranchogirl, Dec 27, 2009
  15. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    Just wait until they start SELLING HOV stickers to make the state some money. It's gonna happen...
     
    #15 KK6PD, Dec 27, 2009
  16. DaveFDEMS

    DaveFDEMS New Member

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    Some metro areas are already doing that
     
    #16 DaveFDEMS, Dec 27, 2009
  17. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Rancho Girl, if hubby is so hard up for stickers (which absolutely positively go away in 12 months) then replace the prius with a natural gas honda ... one of the few cars cleaner than a prius. They're entitled to the white HOV stickers and those won't go away like the yellow ones do.

    [​IMG]

    Stickers ... AND, you get to re-fill at home. Just something to think about.

    .
     
    #17 hill, Dec 27, 2009
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