I'm not optimistic about the answer, but I was wondering if California has any provisions for out of state vehicles to use HOV while in transit through state? Wife and I doing our first 'road trip' from Phoenix to Long Beach (Queen Mary), San Diego, and Palm Springs this weekend. Since others have posted trip details, I'll try to let everyone know how vehicle performs on the trip. I'm shooting for low to mid 40's on mpg considering the highway speeds through the desert. Car has just under 1K on it. Have been averaging upper 40's on combination hwy/city. If you see a Magnetic Gray with AZ temp plate, give us a wave. Once again thanks for all the valuable info from this chat area.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aubergaz @ May 17 2006, 07:02 PM) [snapback]257276[/snapback]</div> This is not definative, but AFAIK the state absolutely requires the stickers to allow you in the HOV lanes with one passenger. All of the carpool lanes in Southern California are "2 or more" lanes, so if your wife is with you, you will be able to use them. We have found that weekend travel finds more cars in the carpool lanes, and our different rules ... you cannot enter and exit the lane except at designated points ... makes using them a crapshoot. If there's an accident that blocks the carpool lane, you risk a $371 fine for exiting the lane prior to the pre-determined spot. So you can be sitting in stop and go traffic while the regular lanes are zooming by you. (My understanding is that in AZ you can enter and exit the HOV lanes at will). Have a good time and let us know how it goes! I average 47.5 MPG in SoCal, and I'm not at all careful about my mileage.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ May 17 2006, 10:47 PM) [snapback]257317[/snapback]</div> I don't anticipate driving alone, so we should be fine. Relative to our HOV lanes, hybrids have not been approved as yet. It is pending EPA definitions and is really tied to a federal mandate. Our HOV lanes are primarily used by people that got our AF (Alternative Fuel) plates as a result of a huge boondoggle in about 2000. The legislature provided huge subsidies to people who bought SUV's and converted them to run both on gas and either Propane or CNG. It cut some SUV's by over $10k. Unfortunately the law never had any requirement to actually prove that you were using the alternative fuel! At the time I had an EV1 so I got to use the lane without a problem and did benefit from the program until GM took my car from me in 03 and did the terrible things that you can see in my 'avtar' picture to the left.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aubergaz @ May 17 2006, 09:03 PM) [snapback]257320[/snapback]</div> You and Darell have to talk! He may show up in this thread. He also had an EV1.
Just be aware that not all HOV lanes are "two or more persons." I don't remember exactly where I was but it was somewhere on the way to San Jose and the HOV lane was "three or more persons," however it was only an HOV lane during certain times of the day.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sutherlin12 @ May 18 2006, 05:29 AM) [snapback]257415[/snapback]</div> Yes, SF Bay Area HOV lanes tend to have a 3-person restriction. But aubergaz will be in Southern California.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aubergaz @ May 17 2006, 09:02 PM) [snapback]257276[/snapback]</div> I just did a round trip to Phoenix and back to San Diego on I8, including about 100 mi in the Phoenix area. Got 44 mpg, no wind to speak of. Also I was using new tires. Have a nice trip.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(highroute @ May 18 2006, 06:42 AM) [snapback]257446[/snapback]</div> Actually, I am not aware of ANY highways in No. California that require three people for HOV access. Maybe you're thinking about the bridges, which require three people for toll-free use during commute hours. But the carpool lanes are all usable by cars with two or more occupants.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ May 17 2006, 08:47 PM) [snapback]257317[/snapback]</div> Huh? The carpool lane sticker will let you drive solo in the HOV lane. As for "All of the carpool lanes in Southern California are "2 or more" lanes", that's not true either. I was just in So Cal for E3 and the 10 west from San Gabriel to around the 710 was 3 or more during certain hours and 2 or more the rest of the time. As for exiting and entering the carpool lanes at designated spots, yeah, that's a weird (and good/bad) part of So Cal carpool lanes. I've never seen the double yellow lines preventing you from legally entering/exiting carpool lanes in Nor Cal or WA state. I know exactly what you mean by being trapped in there because of traffic. I've also been stuck in there because of lack of familiarity w/where the points are. When going west on the 10, I was frustrated because I had to go WAY past (many miles) where I supposed to exit. I had no idea and figured there would've been a break near where I was trying to get off.
