Solo hybrid drivers lose yellow-sticker car-pool lane access

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 1, 2011 | Abby Sewell

[americanophile]

Sorry, Prius owners. Starting Friday, your yellow sticker no longer works in California's car pool lanes while driving solo. The car pool privileges, originally allowed as an incentive for people to buy low-emission vehicles, have expired.

The change affects 85,000 hybrid car owners -- about a third of them in Los Angeles.

Bruce Yonemoto, 60, a professor of studio art at UC Irvine who commutes from downtown Los Angeles several times a week, said he often saves more than an hour during choked traffic because the yellow sticker on the rear bumper of his Prius gave him the right to speed by in the diamond lane while other drivers idled.

"I get sad looking at the other lanes now," Yonemoto said. To avoid sitting in rush-hour traffic, he said he'll start waiting until 7 p.m. to leave campus.

Hybrid drivers will undoubtedly feel the difference when they are shunted into regular traffic lanes, but experts said the change in traffic will barely register for other commuters.

"To have a measurable impact on traffic, you really need to talk about significant changes in volume or demand, and this isn't big enough to really create any significant change one way or the other to either the HOV lanes or the general purpose lanes," said Marco Ruano, chief of freeway operations for Caltrans District 7, which includes Los Angeles.

[Iron Munro]

“Batteries not included”

[dalereed]

next step is to make the trash illegal!

[CharlyFord]

I told him I’d never heard of any such thing. I was from the Appalachians. He gave me a break.

He gave you a break because you were a member of a minority!! 'Appalachian Hill People'! Don't laugh! it's true! They are a seldom referenced but recognized minority.

I'm a member of the 'Red Neck Swamp People' but they won't give us minority status.

[Grams A]

Could he carry his pet cat and call it another occupant?”

Not sure - given a cape and a proper tiara my cat might consider being an occupant. Understand there is a move underfoot - probably originated in California - to require a harnass/seat belt contraption if you are going to take your pet in the car. Seems as how we switched from “it’s for the children” to “it’s for the other children”, known to most of us as our pets.