Hybrid Cars Get a Big Push; Not So Fast, Others Say Officials want to give incentives to owners of fuel-efficient vehicles. But transit experts decry a bill that would let solo drivers use HOV lanes. SACRAMENTO — With gas prices so high as to cause vertigo, California's elected officials are racing to shower fuel-efficient hybrid car owners with the kinds of exclusive road privileges all drivers covet. Los Angeles is considering granting free parking this fall to the vehicles, which run on both gas and electricity. In Sacramento, lawmakers are on the verge of approving a measure that would allow solo hybrid drivers to use carpool lanes.  Read entire article by clicking this link. Click here to view another link to the same article here. Jeff
Yes, a bad idea. Hybrids are popular enough already. They don't need to hog precious HOV capacity just to encourage more buyers. Displacing multiple occupancy vehicles would help increase fuel consumption and air pollution; this is not why we bought Prii.
First of all hybrids aren't that popular yet either in terms of percentage sold or vehicles on the road. Yes, the Prius is on backlog but it still amounts to a small percentage of sales for Toyota. Secondly, I think we're missing a huge reason for incentivizing hybrids (especially in places like CA) aside from the mpg and that is the much lower emissions. Perhaps a compromise would be to have more dedicated lanes for buses and vans which would be true HOV. HOV for traditional cars just isn't cutting it. Of course, if the HOV lanes are over utilized then all HOV qualifications need to be reexamined. Here in VA the HOV lanes are usually under-utilized so it's not really an issue.
Along the north I-5 corridor in Seattle, I think the HOV lanes are well-utilized (I've been travelling them by vanpool or carpool, or driving next to them when I'm alone, for over 20 years.) However, I'm beginning to wonder if that's the case elsewhere -- there are a lot of reports of under-utilization on the East Coast, or in CA. Even Seattle Eastside reports of extremely light traffic in the lanes. Of course, that's one of the incentives -- clear sailing for cars/vans/whatever with more than 2 or 3 occupants. But I think that shows the advantages of setting the rules in a state-by-state (probably region-by-region) manner, rather than a country-wide federal law.
Here in Northern California the HOV lanes are mostly quite underutilized. Over the years I've noticed a curious thing: on those "special" holidays when government offices and schools are closed but average working stiffs have to go to work (like election days, Admission Day, etc.), there are no traffic congestion problems whatsoever. Does this perhaps suggest that we have way too many government employees and that cutting back severely on their number could well be a solution to our traffic congestion problems?! :mrgreen:
No, it means all those people who have kids had to take the day off because there was no school. 1 teacher = 20 to 30 kids & (generalizing) one parent per kid has to stay home.
no its not government workers holidays that explain light traffic. it is the simple fact that some urban areas are not desirable places to spend one's leisure time. therefore, one a day off, people simply find more desirable places to be and some of the older more industrialized cities arent on that list. i must say that in the Seattle area, there is simply no such thing as a slow freeway day. and as for more in the hov lanes, that would not fly here. they are already pretty crowded and just as jammed during rush hour. i will say that they do move faster than normal lanes, but to say that you "sail through" effortlessly is no where near the case around here.
here in the lower mainland of B.C. they call the HOV lanes the "Green Lane" so tell me how a Ford Expedition Power Stroke diesel with two people in it is "green"compared to a Prius with one? In the 10 miles on the main hiway that Ford puts out probably 100 times the NOx of a Prius Green my butt.
An Expedition with two people in it is greener than two Expeditions carrying one person each. And maybe they're running it on bioDiesel (hey, it could happen..)
well the expedition with 2 against a Prius with a single driver is a great example of the problems we face now. people only want to do the minimum to get by. that is the reason why we are destroying the environment. we now are struggling to overcome years of marginal thinking. the fact is, an expedition that is not full to capacity (6? 7? or whatever) is a WASTE!! a Prius with out AT LEAST 4 people is a WASTE!!! that is the thinking we need to strive for. sure its optimistic at best impractical for the most part, but we need to aim high or we be in for a BAD time. the problem is, that it probably wont be us. but want my kid to have SOME freedoms that i have enjoyed.
