Just saying hello

hello! congrats, all the best!

 

I love your car too, but love more the mine, first point I take in consideration to buy it was “Toyota” Brand, this means for me more efficiently vehicle and less combustible spend, but then you agree “Hybrid”, and there is no reason to buy another car, and keep surprising you, in my case, found I can carry on my Prius, same as I did on a Ford Freestyle (last vehicle I own for travel but I don’t need it anymore since the Prius come to my life), sure y can discover so much things and enjoy it, same as you do. We love our cars!!!

 

How does it save on FasTrak costs? We can't go through free like the all-electric cars. But I agree the car is great!

-- Barbara

 

Sorry I'm still unclear. Maybe I'm missing something. For me, all FasTrak does is deduct money when I go over a bridge. Yes the PIP saves me loads of time because I can use the carpool lane but it doesn't get me over the bridge any cheaper. I just looked at the   page and it doesn't say anything about 2 people being able to cross the bridge for free in the carpool lane. Only white decals or 3+ people. I also couldn't find any info about FasTrak letting a car with only 2 people use the carpool lane. I'm near SF - maybe it's different where you are? And I'm not sure what you mean by "free access to the carpool lane." Are there places where you have to pay to use the carpool lane? I am curious! Thanks.

 

I have had my PIP for a month and have put over 2000 miles on it......where does the time go?! Yep, I reset the odometer when I bought it and during those 2000 miles I am averaging 70 mpg.....around town, freeway driving at 65 to 70 mph, and mountain driving at least once a week! Wife and I are totally in love with this car!

Regarding FasTrak in Southern California, the PIP does not qualify. You have to be 100% electric to qualify. However, different areas and different States have different parameters. The PIP does qualify to travel in the HOV lanes (not FasTrak) with one passenger if you have HOV stickers.

 

better late than never - and welcome!!

 

I wager you will be getting a bill from FasTrak in the mail (they have cameras that read your license plate)! I was under the same impression as you. Sent in my application (with VIN and DMV HOV approval) to FasTrak for a transponder and they wrote back and said, "no dice, you have to be 100% electric."

 

Maybe this is what you meant, but to clarify, PIP qualifies you to ride in HOV lane with zero passengers, assuming you have the HOV sticker. (Also, I didn't even know express lanes existed until this thread!)

 

To further clarify, HOV stickers in California allow you to travel in the HOV lanes with one person in the vehicle as opposed to 2, or in some cases 3+, people in the vehicle.

 

Congrats on the PIP. I now have 17,000 miles on mine. So far, so good and averaging about 70-80 miles per gallon per month...which means that I fill up about once a month or so.

 

And to further clarify, green HOV stickered Priuses with a three-position switch FasTrack transponder may set the position to "3" and drive free through the L.A. County Metro "Express Lanes" with a single occupant. This does NOT apply to the 91-Express, however.

 

Thank you Capt. Hook and Capt. Lawdude. It goes to show that there is no consistency in the various FasTrak policies in Southern California. The rejection notice I got was from the 91 FasTrak (Orange County). But now I will be applying for a LA Metro transponder and I will use I15 Express Lanes with abandon!

 

As far as I can tell it doesn't apply to bridges or 100% toll highways, but does apply to most if not all toll lanes on public highways.

 

My feeling is the the rules concerning the applicability of the HOV decals are completely and deliberately inscrutable. The only way to know if they apply is to determine what section of the vehicle code applies to that particular road, and then correctly interpret the meaning of that section. It can depend on how construction of the road was funded and the existence of code sections specifically mentioning a particular road. For example, here in the SF Bay Area, the white decals are honored on the Golden Gate Bridge, but not the green decals. Absolutely no rhyme or reason, You just have to know, or take your chances.