End of HOV lane.Whats your commute plans ?

California HOV stickers

(For the record, I have CA HOV stickers which I got when I lived in CA. I don't live there now so they're useless to me in WA state. I didn't use them that much in CA since I went to/from work late anyway (HOV lanes were already opened up to all traffic by that time). For the times I did take advantage, I did like them.)

Buy a car that qualifies for other stickers which don't expire on July 1, 2011? See http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm.

What does Congress have to do with it? You're referring to California HOV stickers. If you could point me to the Federal government having something to do w/CA HOV sticker expiration dates, I'm all ears.

There are plenty of states that don't give solo HOV lane privileges for hybrids.

 

Prius plug-in when on the market will qualify for white sticker anyway. It is marked as ZEV ;-).

 

There is not even one mile of HOV lanes in MS, (It might have been wiser to put California somewhere in your title) so there are no stickers here, nor would they do any good. Mississippi doesn't just lag the rest of the US in race relations and literacy.

 

No HOV lanes 'round here, either.

 

This is only in CA. We still have the Clean Pass program.

 

Unless a lot of those solo drivers decide to car pool because of the changes. In which case it might actually reduce the total number of cars on the road which is probably the original goal of those lanes.

I can understand what a loss it will be though, traffic congestion is no fun. I guess one option will be to trade-up to a Plugin prius when they're eventually released.

BTW. I'm not from Ca but we've got something similar here called "Transit lanes". They are only for buses and multiple occupancy cars but sadly no exemptions for hybrids or any other type of low/zero emission vehicles.

 

At least I can finally get my bumper fixed.

I backed up into a low pole in a parking lot and smashed my lamp and dislodged the bumper a couple of years ago.

Since then I've had a bumper that's all banged up and loose, but I got to keep my HOV stickers.

 

Re: California HOV stickers

As someone who rode in a real carpool for 15 years, much of that without HOV lanes, I'm not very sympathetic.

Join or create a vanpool or carpool. Sure, it will have some cost in lost schedule flexibility. But in the long run it will save more time, personal money, and tax money, than this abomination of allowing certain specially privileged SOVs into HOV lanes.

I'll have to dig up old federal links later, but believe it was Congress that granted permission for this misuse of HOV lanes. And that permission expired some time ago.

 

I've been agonizing about this for some time. Things I'm considering: buy one of the new Ford Focus Electric vehicles when they become available. Downside to that is I may move out of state in a couple of years and won't need it where I'm going, so I'll have to sell it as part of the move. Whether that's a good or bad choice depends on how such vehicles (with the white stickers) hold their value. If I can get 2-3 years use of the car for < $5000 off the value, that might be a good deal.

Another option: as others have stated, get a plug in Prius when they are available. If I did that, I would be more inclined to keep that vehicle when I move.

For both of the above options, there are two downsides: I'm not really prepared to spend $$$ right now on a new car; my current 2 Prii are < 5 years old and I usually keep cars for 10 years at least, so another car now would be out of cycle for me.

The other downside is that there is a wait for either vehicle, so I'd be in the peon lanes for possibly months before getting back to the carpool lane.

The cheapest option is find a carpool partner so I'm legal in the carpool lane. This is fraught with difficulties, but I've done it before and most of those can be worked around.

What I'll probably do is: suck it up and telecommute 1-2 days a week.

BTW: these are my considerations. I know many are not sympathetic, but I'm not whining, just trying to figure out my options.

 

There are other choices. Nissan Leaf or Civic NGV.

 

Solo driving in the HOV lanes is not ending....oh wait!! Oh I get it!! U did not get a LEAF!!

 

There goes Dave . . . flashing his burger & fries to starving people


.

 

Saw this car for sale here in Az. today. Is it possible that someone from california could buy this car and use the HOV lane in California? How many of these permits were issued in Ca.?

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID - 4DSD - 1 OWNER!

 

Yes. 85K yellow HOV stickers were issued. But, they will expire 7/1/11.

 

While he can be cruel in flashing that meal to the starving, he doesn't get to eat the whole thing, as his (also my) state doesn't allow it solo in the HOV lanes.

If the Aptera ever arrives, though ...

 

Ha! Some Nissan enthusiasts refer to the Nissan logo as being a hamburger.

 

WT...? I just got pulled over this morning for driving by myself in the carpool lane with my yellow sticker on my 2005 Prius?

I asked the officer if he is aware that I have yellow stickers and he said they expired at the end of January 2011 . He said I would need white ones. Since I didn't know he was nice enough not to issue a ticket, which he said runs $800, so I should not get caught again by myself in the carpool lane...

So is it going to be enough to print out the DMV website that mentions the extension until July, just in case that same officer pulls me over again tomorrow morning (I guess saying I didn't know won't fly)???

:focus: I am going to have to see if I can find a job closer to home as not being able to use the carpool lane will likely double my 45 minute commute each way and I have better things to do than sitting 3 hours in traffice every day. As others have stated already there is simply no $$$ at the moment to buy a new plug-in hybrid. If I had the dough though I wouldn't hesitate. Another option is trying to change shift from 6am to 3pm when the other lanes are still ok unless there is an accident. That wasn't possible though when I took my new position 2 years ago.

 

Sounds like another good reason not to live in The Granola State. Out here I get up, watch the sun rise over the Pacific while I brew coffee and check mail, then sail right on intto town. From my sleepy seaside village it's maybe 20 minutes in minimal traffic.

 

I gave up commuting years ago. Unless you count the walk to the other end of the hallway.