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 ...
It is won't. Adding capacity would diminish use of metro which would add a bunch to its budget deficit. Adding capacity would smash Wash dc real estate prices, and you can't have that.
> 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.
Actually, those vehicles aren't allowed in the car pool lane, even though they're hybrids, you need a certain MPG to qualify.
You also need ugly-@ss stickers plastered on all 4 sides of your car, and a FasTrak (quick toll-pay) device installed.
I admit it: part of the reason I got a Prius is to avoid the hassle on the choke point of the worst part of my commute (no, I don't enjoy the smell of my own body gasses... :-). I will be *pissed* if I went through all this hassle and defaced my new car only to get the bait-and-switch from the idiot government who can't plan ahead.
> I hate the way hybrid drivers go slower than traffic to show off how environmentelly concious they are.
I'm with you, except it changes when you get one -- not to show off how environmentally friendly you are, but to play a kind of video game. I'm completely serious. There's this MPG mode you get on the big-ole display, and the competition side of you wants to crank that MPG yellow bar up as tall as it will go.
I always make sure that traffic is moving faster on the left of me, though. The people I *really* hate are the MPG watchers who clog up the left lanes. These people need a slappin'.
My mother bought a Prius. I was very impressed when I drove it. Very roomy inside (similar cubic footage to a Camry), acceptable acceleration, very quiet in town, a useful hatchback design, and I averaged 54 mpg. Not bad for $21k.
> My mother bought a Prius. I was very impressed when I drove it. Very roomy inside (similar cubic footage to a Camry), acceptable acceleration, very quiet in town, a useful hatchback design, and I averaged 54 mpg. Not bad for $21k.
It's a really great design, my only regret is that it's a tight fit for our 2 dogs. Too bad the enviro-wackos have stigmatized it (by liking it), but who cares about them? it is a really nice car and the built in extras for the display I opted for (GPS map, Bluetooth handsfree phone) is stuff I really find handy.
Even if the carpool privileges are revoked I'll still like it, but the g. d. govt. should have TOLD us they were thinking of this move before I defaced my car with stickers.
Motorcycles only lanes would be a wonderful thing, especially since most states don't permit lane sharing/splitting. It's the one thing that Kalifornia has done right...SSZ
Not to mention the fact that Consumer Reports has it as the one with the highest owner satisfaction and projects it to be the most reliable. I do agree with you that libs have stigmatized it (I think my mother has the only one in NC with a Bush sticker!) but it does make a lot of sense.
Yea to all that. I am a Washingtonian also and I know exactly what you mean.
It's all politics of course, and an attempt to eventually push as many as possible into public mass transportation. Subsidized by our tax dollars of course.
I have observed in my area (the bay area mentioned in this article) the traffic slow from 50-60 MPH to 10-20 MPH when the HOV lanes start their restrictions at 3PM
Dr. Zoo has been awarded the contract to put charging stations every 6.3 miles in the carpool lanes on Hwy 101 in the north bay. Those battery cars can't go very far without a recharge.
I think they should force those on welfare to become pushers. They could stand at stations about 50 yards apart in the center median. When an electric stalls, they run over and push. No worries about keeping up with traffic since they won't build more road capacity, the traffic will probably be moving slower than the pushers.
I'm going to talk to my Assembly woman about voiding your contract by getting all those battery operated tinker toys banned from the freeway!
You mean these vehicles are rolling death traps when they meet an old fashioned heavy metal SUV or truck?
LOL
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