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    Posted: 17 Feb 2006 at 1:49pm
ProNo: When I bought my hybrid, I was unaware of the tax credit - but I'm just like you in that I don't give money back.

I travel I395 all of the HOV hours in the PM, and it rarely clogs. I travel in the am between 0630 and 0700 and it only clogs before the Pentagon exit. I've travel only a couple of time around 0745 and it was not congested.

So, yes, I can state with confidence that the express lanes on I395 are rarely if ever congested.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ProNo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2006 at 9:07am
"Message",

I think it's important to clarify that most of us are not bitter about hybrid vehicles in general. (Most people support them, in fact.) We're bitter about the ones that use HOV lanes carrying one lonesome driver.

When I see that rare hybrid in the HOV lanes carrying two or more people, I truly admire that person.

-ProNO
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ProNo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2006 at 8:48am
NoSUV,

How can you state with such confidence that the HOV lanes are "rarely if ever congested" unless you are observing the entire length at all times? I think you are assuming this based on your own commute, which proves nothing about the overall situation.

Based on my daily experience, I would say that the opposite is true: HOV lanes are rarely if ever NOT congested. There are definitely sweet spots in there where you can get up to speed, but the same is true of the main lanes. I can think of three separate HOV bottlenecks in the morning that are a regular, time-sucking (and I would add hybrid-filled) feature of my commute.

Also, you said you object to taxpayer subsidies in terms of tax breaks or other government incentives for manufactured goods. Sincere question: did you return the tax rebate or refuse the tax deduction you received for your hybrid? Would you still have bought your hybrid without that?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote NoSUV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 8:32pm
quote:
Originally posted by raymond
[br] Whatever your opinion about the longterm viability of hybrid vehicles, they are here and available to anyone who can afford one.


raymond, the key is "anyone who can afford them." Assuming that you can't make the $ back on gas savings alone, what's the incentive to buy one? As evidenced on this site, few slugs would buy one unless they could use the express lanes as SOV.

As a taxpayer, I object to taxpayer subsidies in terms of tax breaks or other government incentives for manufactured goods. Of course, in the case of the hybrids, that leaves only altruistic reasons for anyone to buy them.

Non-taxpayer funded incentives are better.

he I-395 express lanes are rarely if ever congested, both for the morning and evening commute. I don't travel I-95, so I can't comment on that portion. However, many people, including McQuigg, lump them together. Perhaps it would be wise to separate them in discussions about exemptions.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote newtoslug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 4:39pm
Only way to end SOV'ing is to end the exemption. People will always jump at a chance like riding SOV in HOV 'cuz it's human nature. Hybrid owners aren't evil and a lot of them used to be sluggers/carpoolers and other users of mass transit. They were handed a gift horse and they opened it. Unfortunately it has proven too tempting. And from what I can see they come from all walks of life. Except for the folks in the Lexus, they all look like the average joes. I wonder why so many people want hybrids? Is slugging all it's cracked up to be? I've noticed that this web site is going to the trolls and I wonder about the riders?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 4:09pm
The state Dept of Environmental Quality regulates which vehicles qualify. I have corresponded with them in the past. They took it over from DMV as I recall



http://www.deq.state.va.us/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Max_28756 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 3:29pm
Maybe we should focus our efforts towards DMV. Who decides which vehicles get clean fuel plates? They list the Highlander and Lexus RX 400h as eligible for CF plates. There are plenty of regular gas vehicles with combined lower emissions and better gas mileage. There are hybrids that don't qualify for CF plates according to DMV. Who decides? We should lobby to restrict the eligible vehicles to those meeting a high standard, not those the auto dealers want to sell. I want to see more hybrids on the HOV, but with passengers! HOV is better than SOV!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MDC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 3:14pm
I still see several SOV hybrids per week without the required tags in the HOV lanes. I seriously question whether this wrinkle will do anything. The police don't seem very interested in giving Priuses with non-CF tags tickets, and I doubt that they are going to bother giving tickets to hybrids with the "wrong" CF tags.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote N_or_S_bound Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 2:30pm
I'm still mulling over why they put this arbitrary "cap" on the hybrid exemption? Is it because they couldn't get more $$ from the PACs? Did the auto industry reps decide they'd take what they could get? I imagine the price for hybrids in this area are being raised as we write. Be a good comfy summer for the dealership salesmen as they rack in some good commissions.

ray is right. It ain't about hating hybrids and/or drivers of those. Be nice if more "CF" exempted drivers chose to pick up slugs, but given the nature of some--that ain't gonna happen.

Question for "Message": Do you ride solo and increase congestion AND emissions? Or do you carry additional riders, reduce congestion AND emissions? There is another poster on this forum who used the same approach you suggested here "focus our attention on the inevitable HOT lanes". That person is still around, maybe you could both put together a good argument for putting singletons in single vehicles and explaining logically how THAT helps reduce the societal woes we face during our daily commute.



NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2006 at 2:26pm
So VDOT supported the hybrid exemption? I would like to see the letter, memo, or website documenting this. The Channel 7 report said that the N. VA VDOT opposes the extension. Of course we are looking at politics in Richmond. We need to contact Pierce Homer, the head of VDOT and see what he says. What is ludicrous is just a couple of weeks ago I went to the VDOT site and it said that the extension was to be decided by the General Assembly - no other comments.

And get this, I looked at the House Bill and indeed it did add a new clause grandfathering the existing hybrids but no new hybrids on 95/395 ONLY. So that by itself shows that the House or Senate COULD have put forth a bill ending the exemption totally as scheduled for only 95/395.



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