hybrids get them off HOV

Bob, I predicted that legislative response - and was booed for it. I recommend, that instead of boo hissing your delegates, that you simply ask them to tell you why they voted the way they did. Was it a tit for tat for some other legislation? Or did they have a reason for supporting it that is contrary to your views? Do they think that your views are a minority opinion and that the majority favor it?

You won't know until you ask. I asked mine.

I did write both Michele McQuigg and Senator Colgan. I received the following response from Michele:

Thank you for your e-mail. I appreciate you taking the time to share your
thoughts on hybrid usage in HOV lanes. I carefully consider citizen input.
The expression of your opinion and others enables me to better represent citizens.

HB 1248 passed; it extends the hybrid exemption for 1 more year. However, I did place an amendment on the bill that states that after July 1, 2006 a different clean special fuel license plate will be issued. Vehicles with the new plate will not be able to use HOV without being HOV-3. It is not a perfect solution. However, the bill had sufficient votes to pass without the amendment and without my vote. The patron of the bill agreed to my amendment. The amendment grandfathers current hybrids, yet the exponential
increase in hybrids on HOV will not continue. The bill also includes additional funds for increased enforcement. There are many more complexities to this issue as the federal government defines what is a hybrid vehicle and as the I95/395 HOT lane public private partnership agreement is negotiated.

FYI 19% of the vehicles on HOV have clean fuel license plates. In Spring 2004 in Northern Virginia there were 480 clean fuel vehicle license plates and in January 2006 there were 9,700. That's a big increase in a short period of time.

20% of the vehicles in HOV lanes are violators. HB 843 that significantly increased the penalties passed. It doubles each of the fines and assesses points on the first offense (instead of waiting for the 3rd offense) for HOV violators.

If you have additional comments or questions, please contact me.

Best Wishes,
Michele

I own a Hybrid. I utilize the HOV lanes. I help the environment.

I agree there has been an increase in the number of hybrids on the road but the new proposed legislation would prevent new hybrids purchased after 1 July from using the HOV lanes w/o 3 people in the car. To most of you, this is still not fair because you resent the hybrid exemption and, quite frankly, seem quite bitter (from your posts).

The proposed legislation also introduces stiffer penalties for "cheaters". This is a good thing.

Let's all focus our attention on the inevitable HOT lanes and try to shape something posive out of them :-)

Thanks to everyone, those new to the forum and longtime debaters of the issues, for your input.

I don't think anyone dislikes hybrid drivers, nor is there clear disdain for hybrid vehicles. Whatever your opinion about the longterm viability of hybrid vehicles, they are here and available to anyone who can afford one. The issue here is about the exemption to HOV laws that allow SOVs in HOV lanes and those who support the laws.

The politicians are to blame in this debate. They have cowtowed to the lobbists who advocate automaker's interests and want to push a new product (hybrids), and are looking for legal loopholes to aid their marketing efforts. This is fiduciary irresponsibility! The politicians have a responsibility to support laws that provide the most good for the most constituents. In this case, our representitives have betrayed us by pushing the hybrid HOV exemption, that serves few commuters, few auto manufacturers, and penalizes the vast majority of average citizen commuters by using our buying decisions (and ability) to discriminate against us. Get ready because HOT lanes will do the same thing, only worse.

As I have said in many previous posts, hybrid drivers are not the "bad guys" here, and I don't think anyone in this forum feels that way. I think hybrid drivers want to be active in a solution to our congestion, commuting, polution and fuel consumption problems. And good for you for doing what you think is right with that goal in mind! Personally, I don't agree with marketers, that we should not have to buy something to help solve the world's problems, but buying decisions are individual rights. The problem is when a minority interest is promoted by politicians and the majority is forced to comply. That is wrong!

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.