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California Says Hybrid Owners No Longer To Get Free Ride In Carpool Lanes

Agent009 submitted on 9/29/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 12:25:07 PM

11 user comments | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: www.latimes.com

The days may be numbered for hybrid car owners who have enjoyed traveling solo in California's carpool lanes.



The stickers granting that privilege to 85,000 hybrid owners are set to expire Jan. 1, 2011. There are proposals in Sacramento to extend the deadline, but they would exclude most of the vehicles that originally qualified for the program, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic hybrid and the original Honda Insight.

"We're bummed," said Cathy Margolin, president of the 250-member Orange County Prius Club. "I drive from Newport Beach to Torrance to teach four times a week, and it saves me an hour every day on the 405."



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California Says Hybrid Owners No Longer To Get Free Ride In Carpool Lanes

About the Author

Agent009

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."

— Agent009 (View Profile)


User Comments

MSP6

How come a person riding alone in his gazz guzzling LS600H or Escalade/Tahoe hybrid should be allowed to do this while a person alone in his Yaris can't ?

Even if not an hybrid, a Yaris is greener than a LS600H.



— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 12:39:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

downtoearth

MSP6 proved neatly that people don't read articles before commenting/criticizing.

"Gasoline-electric hybrids with combined city-highway mileage of 45 miles per gallon or better were eligible for a yellow sticker. The number of yellow stickers was capped at 85,000, and the last one was given out in February 2007."

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 1:33:17 PM | | Votes: 7   

MSP6

oh... yes, my bad.. Too fast on the trigger.

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 1:41:11 PM | | Votes: -1   

thstone

I never supported any use of the carpool lanes for anything but ... carpools. The objective of the carpool lane is to REDUCE traffic and emissions by eliminating the number of vehicles on the road. Any other use is social-engineering at its worst.

— thstone (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 1:39:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6   

Steve

FYI, Ontario Canada is the only place in North America in which HOV (High-Occupancy Vehicle) lanes are NOT for 1-up motorcycles. They, too, figure that HOW is for 2 or more people in a vehicle, not for reduced polution, reduced congestion, etc. Oh well.

— Steve (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 11:57:22 AM | | Votes: 1   

SP2Hybrid

Carpool lanes are nothing but social engineering. Congestion and emissions are minimized when the throughput is maximized, i.e. all available space is used to move all vehicles faster. Allowing a few vehicles to move faster while dramatically slowing everyone else down increases congestion and emissions, likely by a very significant factor (the slower traffic is not just slower but it involves a lot more acceleration and deceleration so there's more wasted energy).
One must only look at their own experience in traffic 5 minutes prior to the opening of the HOV lane vs 5 mins. after.

Some are more equal than others while those less equal usually have a life and can't be bothered to oppose the new religion.

— SP2Hybrid (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 3:30:25 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Chaos29

Carpool lane is the number one culprit of smog. It needs to be utilized. In fact, I think the carpool lane should be reserved for big 16 wheelers. Imagine how much more efficient if these heffer not having to stop and go. The little prius can idle all day and won't pollute as much.

— Chaos29 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 5:48:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

1UAW

Why not just build more lanes in the first place if you where worried about traffic congestion?

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 6:17:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

veyron1001

How about smaller cars in which I dont know reduce space?

— veyron1001 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 12:14:44 AM | | Votes: 3   

answer

Always thought this was stupid. Hybrids are at their worst when driving at highway speeds in terms of fuel economy.

Plus, when the carpool lanes end and transition to become the "fast" lane, most often these hybrid drivers continue doing 65-70 mph tops.

So annoying!

— answer (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 6:46:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Joe_Limon

Hmmm that's scary how much that argument makes sense... in a world where people actually cared about the environment and economy, that lane should be dedicated to big rig's. Not to snobs who feel they deserve the right to drive there because they believe their morals are superior.

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 9:13:45 PM | | Votes: 3   

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