Posted on 09/08/2006 10:36:20 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
Federal authorities could force Caltrans to kick hybrid vehicles out of congested carpool lanes or require drivers of non-hybrids to pick up an extra passenger to gain admission to overused lanes.
And that could help unclog carpool lanes in the Bay Area, most of which have become commute-hour slogs, according to a Caltrans report compiled after more than 50,000 hybrids were given access to the lanes.
The report found that carpool lanes on Interstates 80 and 880 and Highways 101, 4, 85 and 237 have gone from being relatively free-flowing routes in spring 2005 to stop-and-go congestion this past spring. It recommends that no additional carpool lane stickers be issued to hybrids once the state-imposed cap of 75,000 is reached -- which could be within weeks, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
Federal law allows states to admit certain hybrids into diamond lanes even if they have just one occupant. But the law also requires states to continuously monitor the lanes and to restrict or discontinue access to solo hybrid drivers when the lanes get too congested.
Yet a bill before the governor would allow 10,000 more hybrids to get the coveted yellow stickers that permit entrance to carpool lanes. The bill would also extend that access, now set to expire in 2008, for an additional three years. The governor's office said Friday evening that the governor had not yet taken a position on the bill.
Federal highway officials have met with Caltrans to discuss the impact of hybrids on carpool lanes, said Gene Fong, chief of the Federal Highway Administration's California division. He said more talks will focus on the findings in the Caltrans report.
"We need to have a conversation with Caltrans about what they intend to do going forward,'' he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I think this is an immigration issue.
I avoid these like the plague during rush hour, but must sometimes go to our office in Pleasanton. It is hell to drive during rush hour. It is simply not possible to round up a couple buddies to go to work with me.
The car pool lane is a fundametally dumb idea. Either next to no one uses it, so you effectively reduce the amount of usable roadway by one lane, or it become clogged at a low level of usage, becoming no better than the rest of the road, and possible worse.
Anyone who has driven in a carpool lane during rush hour, past the slow "normal" lanes, has almost surely notices that it is very difficult, with just a single lane, to figure out when traffic is going to suddently become jammed. Wtih three or four lanes, you can see general patters of brakelights and lane changes to figure out what is going on. With a single lane, you lose most of those visual clues, becaue you can only see the car ahead of you.
Even if you put these rules in place some Hybrids shouldn't count. I see no reason why a Lexus RX Hybrid that gets less than 26 mpg should get the privalege and a Honda Civic that gets 37 shouldn't. The case for letting any use these lanes is murky but I don't see a case at all for the Hybrids that don't even get great gas mileage where the Hybrid tech is used to up power.
These "Diamond lanes" are an enviro-facist plot!
They don't make traffic flow faster, in fact they make congestion worse- with the attending smog increase.
They are there to punish the rest of us into car pooling.
The Greenies are ruining California now that they've got the power.
A study published late last week said that the SF Metro Transportation Board (or whatever it's called) is spending way too much on mass transit in lieu of highway infrastructure.
This is California, everyone who wants to is already taking mass transit.
If they made the trains faster and cheaper than driving, they might pick up a few percent more ridership, but it'll take shock therapy to get Californians out of our cars!
Ever since Governor Moonbeam, Less is Less...
From what I see, if you culd just get the fags in hybrids to run 90 like us normal folks, they wouldn't clog the roads
Absolutely an immigration issue. Get rid of 8 million people in California and we can drive on our freeways again. That was demonstrated when the invaders went on strike.
I'm with you Toby06!
I hate the way hybrid drivers go slower than traffic to show off how environmentelly concious they are.
Poseurs!
"Absolutely an immigration issue. Get rid of 8 million people in California and we can drive on our freeways again. That was demonstrated when the invaders went on strike."
Without the immigration law of 1965 we would have about 60 to 90 million fewer people in America, and less social upheaval, and much shorter commutes.
Carpool lanes are the political way of trying to force commuters to utilize subsidized mass transit. It isn't working and they won't admit it.
Is that french for fag?
Didn't some of the diamond lanes in Southern California used to be 3 or more people?
True. They're trying to see if they can squeeze another 10 mpg out of a gallon of gas by driving 30 mph.
Wait a sec! I have absolutely zero beef with anyone who drives to conserve. I seriously have a beef with those who try to inflict their lifestyle on others, though.
So, they'll have to put people on the roof of the hybrid's to get to the 3 person limit?
As long as tehy don't hold up traffic, I'm cool with it.
What most hybride drivers do not realize is that their car is sold on a lie. In order to meet CAFE standards, hybrids are not tested the same as real cars.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.