Another Good Year

Bills now introduced in VA house and senate to extend hybrids on HOV through 6/30/12.

HOVME

And Dr. Gridlock of the Washington Post sees it going on indefinitely. See below:

Hybrids stay in HOV lanes
They never listen to me.

Virginia legislators and the governor have once again extended the provision that allows hybrid vehicles, even with solo drivers, to use the carpool lanes in Northern Virginia. It is now set to expire July 1, 2011. (They'll extend it again next year.)

This supposedly temporary measure dates back to the days when governments wanted to encourage the purchase of hybrid vehicles. If people bought the more efficient cars, they could get a faster trip to and from work by using the HOV lanes.

But the need for an incentive to buy hybrids disappeared long ago, along with low gas prices. The pollution coming from three hybrids with solo drivers in the HOV-3 lanes of I-95 can top that of one SUV carrying three people. Plus, the unrestricted use of hybrids contributes to congestion in the HOV lanes and decreases the incentive to carpool.

Del. Thomas A. "Tag" Greason (R-Loudoun) sponsored the one-year extension approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R).

The rules
Hybrid vehicles with the required clean-fuel license plates can continue to use the I-95/395, I-66 and Dulles Toll Road HOV through June 30, 2011.

Only hybrids with clean-fuel plates issued before July 1, 2006, can use the I-95/395 HOV lanes during rush hours. All hybrids with clean-fuel plates can use all other HOV lanes in Virginia during HOV hours, including I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road.

For a hybrid to use Virginia's HOV lanes during rush hours, the vehicle must have a clean special-fuel plate issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Not all hybrids qualify for clean-fuel plates. Check the DMV Web site for an updated list of eligible hybrids.


By Robert Thomson | March 18, 2010; 11:28 AM ET



HOVME

Good news follows:

HOV hybrid exemptions extended
Hybrid exemption in HOV lanes extended another year

Date published: 2/25/2010


By KELLY HANNON


A limited group of hybrid owners will likely have another year to use carpool lanes on Interstate 95 at rush hour, regardless of the number of people inside the car.

Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have passed a bill extending the exemption for clean special fuel vehicles in High Occupancy Vehicle lanes.

The exemption was set to expire June 30, 2010. Now, if Gov. Bob McDonnell signs the bill, it will end on July 1, 2011.

All vehicles registered in Virginia bearing clean special fuel license plates can use High Occupancy Vehicle lanes regardless of their occupant numbers, except on I-95/395. On those interstates, vehicles with the speciality license plates must have been registered prior to July 1, 2006 to use the HOV lanes without passenger restrictions.

The 2006 limit for I-95/395 was set in 2005 by the General Assembly as a compromise measure, letting the lanes continue to be used by early adopters of the hybrid technology, but preventing them from being overrun by subsequent drivers.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles designed a new license plate so law enforcement officers could distinguish between them.

A portion of the proceeds from clean special fuel license plate sales goes to the Virginia State Police for HOV enforcement. Last year, the plates raised $293,955 for HOV enforcement.

The legislation would affect a small subset of Virginia drivers.

There are 12,430 vehicles in Virginia registered with clean special fuel licenses dating before July 1, 2006, according to Virginia DMV. After that date, there have been 10,014 vehicles registered with clean special fuel plates in Virginia.

Statewide, there are approximately 7.5 million registered vehicles.

The bill passed the House of Delegates 78-17 and the Senate 40-0


HOVME