Hybrid Cars Coming Soon to Carpool Lanes

This is sham of a bill with very little to make it beneficial to most American's. Another example of an under-informed, placate-businesses-no-matter-what-the-cost politicians.

The most redeeming aspect of it is the nods toward hybrid cars!

 

By years end? Unlikely. They have six full months to work out the disparities of the bill, by which time there still will be no guarantee of passing it...it could just as easily end up scrapped.

 

CA DMV is accepting applications NOW!

The DMV has started accepting applications for certain hybrids (Prius, Insight, Civic). Go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm for information and link to the DMV application.

If you live in the SF Bay Area you have to also have a Fast Track transponder to get the HOV stickers.

 

Makes my life alot better, even if I don't totally agree with it:

Hybrids cleared for carpool lane


OWNERS OF SOME MODELS CAN DRIVE SOLO WITH STATE STICKERS

By Paul Rogers

Mercury News

In a surprise move, the state announced Wednesday that owners of three types of hybrid cars -- the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic and the Honda Insight -- can begin applying immediately for stickers that will allow them to drive solo in carpool lanes.

The owners of those vehicles can download a form from the state Department of Motor Vehicles Web site, pay $8, and receive a set of yellow stickers. The Web address is www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg1000.htm .

In a twist, however, hybrid owners in the nine Bay Area counties also will have to pay $40 for a Fastrak transponder that allows them to drive by toll bridge booths without stopping to pay. Cars with three or more people do not have to pay Bay Area bridge tolls.

Steve Haskins, a spokesman for the DMV, said the provision was inserted in a state law last year at the request of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a Bay Area government agency that helps Caltrans oversee toll bridges.

``They were concerned about the loss of toll revenue,'' he said.

In a news release, the DMV said the reason for that was because stopping to pay the tolls ``adds to air emissions and pollution.'' Because hybrid vehicles run on electric batteries when they are idling, however, that statement is incorrect.

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law allowing hybrid cars into California carpool lanes as long as they achieve 45 mpg and a super-clean emissions level. The law also limited the number of hybrids in carpool lanes to 75,000.

There are about 57,000 hybrids registered in California.

The law could not take effect, however, until the federal government gave approval, because federal funds pay for significant highway costs. On Wednesday, President Bush signed the $286 billion highway bill, which Schwarzenegger said prompted his decision.

``It's a common-sense policy that represents yet another step toward cleaning up our environment and reducing air pollution,'' Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

However, the federal highway bill does not contain the word ``hybrid.'' Instead, it orders the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to come back in 180 days with a definition of which vehicles will be allowed in carpool lanes.

Many observers, including the author of the California law, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills, and Toyota officials, said last week they expected it would be at least six months before the EPA acted and California coordinated its rules with EPA.

``We were a little surprised today,'' said Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight. ``We thought there would be some time to work out what the highway bill meant. But overall we're pleased. We supported the measure. We think it is a true validation of hybrid technology and its benefits.''

The California Air Resources Board, which announced the new rules around 5 p.m., was not available to answer questions late Wednesday.

 

Does anyone know if this allows us to enter the highway on the carpool ramp? Or is it only for the HOV lane itself?

 

I'm saying yes.

The on ramp lanes are HOV lanes.

I'm using them.

In fact, that' s the primary reason I applied for the sticker since there are very few actually HOV lanes on the freeways I use. But there are plenty of those HOV onramps.

 

Were those HOV onramp lanes designed for the same reason as the HOV lanes?

 

There's lots of stuff we can do, friend, that isn't monitored by law enforcement. But the reason to not zoom up the HOV ramp is because to do so is to give the finger to those people who have queued up in the other lane because they, essentially, care about each other.

 

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Firstly, don't do it on N 805 to W 94 in San Diego; once a month or so there's a CHP handing out tickets. The ramp crests and turns and by the time you see him its too late.

Secondly, the ramps are metered to smooth the flow of merging traffic, the idea being a short wait for some vs a long wait for all; and the HOV lane is a small perq to induce car pooling.

 

Unless there is literature to the contrary that arrives with the stickers or someone can find something on the DMV website that denies us using the HOV onramps....I'm using them.

They are HOV lanes. The sticker says HOV access.

It's the primary reason I got the stickers.

 

check this out:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/mailouts/mso0...004/mso0004.pdf

The reference says that the HOV ramps are part of the HOV lane system. They were implemented as bait to reduce emissions just as were the FULL HOV lanes.

 

Well done, Wstander.