latest # of HOV stickers issued?

About how much do you guys (and gals) think a Prius with HOV stickers is worth over a car w/out them?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Tuco @ Jan 21 2007, 01:34 AM) [snapback]378608[/snapback]</div>

If you live in Santa Barbara, it won't help you. But anywhere there are carpool lanes, it's a huge time-saver. Traffic is crawling at 20 mph, the car pool lane is doing better....multiply this scenario by how many times in a month you drive in traffic.....it will give you HOURS of doing something else rather than sitting in traffic.

If you are eligible for one, $8.00 is a deal to do more with life!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jiji @ Jan 21 2007, 06:10 AM) [snapback]378611[/snapback]</div>

True indeed, but how much more (in addition to the cost of the car itself) do you think most people would be willing to pay for a car with carpool stickers? I was told that they add about a thousand dollars of value to the car. What do you think?

 

If there are no more stickers to be handed out.. I think the car will be worth atleast $500 more.

:mellow:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Homer_Simpson @ Jan 19 2007, 08:51 PM) [snapback]378075[/snapback]</div>

I guess we will find out once we receive our refund checks back from DMV.

I spoke with a lady at DMV and she told that they are doing another survey of the capacity on the carpool lanes right now. Once they finish the survey they will determine if more stickers will be issued. Currently they are backlog from 15JAN with applications. Only 750 or so stickers are left. The lady told me that some people are submitting apps without all their documentation and/or errors. These applications don't get processed. DMV does not issue stickers without license plates. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

I applied my stickers over the weekend. After applying them (I would have done it anyway) I realized that the license plate number on the sticker card doesn't match the license plate number on the car. Then I realized that DMV sent me two registrations (on different days) with different license plate numbers. One matches the number sent with the stickers, one matches the number sent with the plates. I'm assuming that this is a simple (fairly simple) call to DMV to get them to send me the "keep this card in your glovebox with your registration - the thing that shows the sticker number and the plate number) and that I'll be OK. (But I wonder who ended up with the other set of plates....)

 

I just called the DMV with the (916) area code.. They told me there are exactly 964 stickers left with 1400+ applications pending;however, some of the applicants do not qualify. Some people are applying for HOV stickers when they drive Mustangs, Corvettes, and other unrelated Hybrid cars. I I hope all we Prius Chat members get our stickers!!!!

 

OK PEOPLES...HERE ARE THE FACTS:

I JUST SPOKE TO THE MANAGER AT THE SACRAMENTO DMV AS OF 2:15 PM TODAY WHO OVERSEES THE ISSUANCE OF THE HOV STICKERS. SHE SAID THERE ARE LESS THAN 900 STICKERS LEFT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE BACKLOGS, BUT THEY ARE GETTING APPLICATIONS AT A CLIP OF 100+ A DAY (AFTER THROWING OUT ALL THE BAD APPS).

BOTTOM LINE - IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR APPLICATION IN TO THE SACRAMENTO OFFICE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, THEN SAY GOODBYE TO EVER GOING INTO THE HOV LANE SOLO.

OF COURSE, UNLESS THE STICKERS GET EXTENDED BY THE LAWMAKERS AND THE GOVERNATOR.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Homer_Simpson @ Jan 22 2007, 09:40 AM) [snapback]379022[/snapback]</div>

Nice. I was wondering why they were getting so many bad applications. I figured it was folks sending in applications without the license plate info or Fastrak receipt.

 

bought car 12/23
sent application 1/4
check cashed 1/17
received stickers 1/22
glad that's over with!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bugmenot @ Jan 22 2007, 05:26 PM) [snapback]379187[/snapback]</div>

FYI - EMAIL I sent to DMV on Friday:

Very recently I purchased a Prius w/ the anticipation that I would be able to get an HOV Sticker. My application is pending, however, from information from your office . . . I may not make the cut to get one. Is there any talks about again extending the program??? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
XXX

THE DMV RESPONSE I GOT TODAY

Good morning Ms. XXX

The department has issued over 8,000 of the additional 10,000 allotment of Hybrid vehicle stickers authorized by the legislature effective January 1, 2007. At this time, it appears the full allotment will be issued in the next several weeks. The legislature would have to pass legislation in order to authorize the department to issue additional Hybrid stickers. I have not heard of such legislation being introduced.

I am sorry I don’t have a more positive response for you at this time.

Mario Balbiani, Program Manager
California Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Policy Development
916 657-8973

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kbob @ Jan 22 2007, 08:11 PM) [snapback]379324[/snapback]</div>

DMV doesn't have anything to do with it. Talk to your lawmakers...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(san ramon prius @ Jan 22 2007, 04:56 PM) [snapback]379237[/snapback]</div>

Here is the explanation from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle last Summer.

• "The DMV receives about 220 applications a day for the stickers, but about 20 percent are rejected -- usually because the applicant applied before receiving license plates."
  Time running out for hybrid perks
  Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle staff writer
  Tuesday, August 15, 2006

 

YAY THE CHECK WAS CASHED! I made the mistake of sending the application early w/o a license number on it at the end of december, it was sent back, now I sent it in again the next day, early this month, and the check was just cashed today. WOOHOOO

Now if I could only get my car back, the repair shop now says middle next month

 

My check was cashed last Thursday. However, given the dire news about how any applications vs stickers, I am wondering why having one's check cashed is necessarily any indication of success. I have had plenty of government refunds -- they take my money and later give it back again in a different check -- such that I am nervous about assuming it is in the bag.

My application went in on the 8th, check cleared 10 days later, and now I wait.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jendbbay @ Jan 23 2007, 05:17 PM) [snapback]379796[/snapback]</div>

Check cashed means DMV received your application BETTER than check is not cashed (one step closer), and unknown your application has reached the DMV or not!

 

This was sure a surprise!

I bought my Prius on Thursday, 1/11/2007.

I drove up to SF on Friday to get the FasTrak transponder in person.

I was very tempted to send in my application right then, without waiting for the plates, since I had heard some people got their stickers without plates, and the stickers were almost gone. I filled out the form and wrote out the check. But I decided to wait, so I wouldn't get the dreaded rejection letter.

I bugged my dealer and got my plates on Thursday, 1/18/2007, and sent everything in using overnight mail.

Today, Tuesday 1/23, I was shocked to get a rejection letter from the DMV!! It says ``NO RECORD FOR VIN, PLEASE REAPPLY WHEN YOU RECEIVE PLATES''.

I've double checked both the license plate number and the VIN on the form I sent versus the registration, and they match. The plates are on my car, I have the registration form printed on DMV paper, and I've had it all since before I mailed the application!

Am I going to miss my chance at stickers because the DMV was overworked and made a mistake?

I didn't get the letter until after business hours today, but you can bet I'm going to call them tomorrow morning.

The good news for everyone else is that if your application was in by last Friday and you didn't get back a rejection letter by now, it looks very good for getting a sticker. And with the rejection, they mailed my check back to me, so if your check was cashed, you were almost certainly not rejected.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Jan 23 2007, 06:51 PM) [snapback]379762[/snapback]</div>

Congrats . . . my check was cashed today WOOHOOO . . . at least I know it got to the right place and the envelope was opened . . . it made my day!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jendbbay @ Jan 23 2007, 05:17 PM) [snapback]379796[/snapback]</div>

its an indication of success because when I first sent in the application without a license plate number, I received the application back with my check enclosed. And from looking at the posts in this topic, it appears that cashing of the check is the 1st step in receiving your stickers. Check gets cashed, then you get the stickers shipped to you within a few days or weeks depending on how many they process and send out at once.

HAPPY DAY! Now I get to stare at the stickers once they arrive just like I have been doing to my license plate, waiting for the day when I get a fully repaired prius back from the shop sometime "next month" they say. If ever.

 

bought the prius 1/9/2007
sent in the application with plate number 1/11/2007
check cashed 1/23/2007

i've been obsessively checking daily.. haha