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USA
New Slug Joined: 06 Jun 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I remember when I was a kid, the parents in the neighborhood used to team up to take turns driving to things that several kids would be attending. That certainly helps take cars off the road, if the alternative is for each parent to drive separately.
The HOV law does not say "3 persons commuting." It's 3 people, period. Perfectly legal for tourists to use the HOV, for example, or people going to Reagan Airport (that's helped me a few times when I call car service when we're leaving on vacation). For that matter, it's perfectly OK for a long-distance traveller--say, the day before Thanksgiving--to hop in the HOV if he's got the three people. It becomes unworkable otherwise. Where do you draw the line? If you say cars with "non-driver" passengers are ineligible, then do you stop the car and ask to see the teenage kids' driver's licenses to confirm their age? What about the little old lady who never got a driver's license and is a passenger with a family member? She's a nondriver. Does that mean that all cars carrying old people must be pulled over to check? Sooner or later all this pulling people over, with the attendant inevitable rubbernecking, would slow EVERYONE down. Ultimately, what it boils down to is that nobody ever said that the HOV was to be the private preserve of people commuting to the Pentagon or to downtown DC. |
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mroyal
New Slug Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote: That's just silly. When was the last time you saw four or five motorcycles parked in the same space a car occupies. If that were the main rationale, then I would be opposed to it. But I think the rationale was much simpler (less gas consumed and you don't want to force three persons on a two wheeled vehicle) and I'm not opposed to it. Kindest Regards, mroyal |
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N_or_S_bound
New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Agree with mroyal here. Not too many bikers double up in parking spaces. Many times they just park illegally in the no parking zones in parking lots.
Another area that's not been mentioned is those who ride Harleys. While I can appreciate the throaty roar of a bike, maybe while cruising through the peaceful serenity of the countryside, I really don't think they're much of a commuting vehicle in a densely populated area like NoVa. No one has mentioned "noise pollution", but these bikes definitely contribute to increased levels there. And if you say the stupid quote "If it's too loud, you're too old", you may be right. It's just one man's take on things. SOV because you can, HOV because you care! NoSb |
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SpongeBob
New Slug Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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My Harley riding former car-pool driver says: "Loud pipes save lives."
Considering our current driver almost squished a biker the other day because she was in our blindspot, there is some truth to that saying. I really like MRoyal's little "HOV because you care" slogan. Nice. |
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n/a
New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Soooo Groc, in your world three adult dwarfs (sorry, little people) may get pulled over? I smell a discrimination lawsuit. What about my teenager/restricted DL occupant, in your world does he count? Why split the hair so thin? HOV-3 counts only the human occupants and makes no other distinction. This is fair and just and the only resonable way to create this law. All cars and trucks should be held to this law. Motorcycles impact the situation diferently: only two wheels = less wear on the roads, smaller engines = less pollution and higher gas milage, fewer on the road = less contribution to congestion. OK, for argument sake: if no hybrid exemption, no motorcycle exemption. But you need to keep your nose out of my back seat. Generally speaking, I would rather abide by the HOV law and avoid participating in Groc's little demographic survey. And unless you work for VDOT or the VA Highway Patrol you should not tell me or anyone else how I am permitted to use HOV. I suspect Groc's world is not a very nice place for anyone who does not look and act like Groc.
LIVE AND LET HOV-3 LIVE! |
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qorc
New Slug Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Location: va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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nope. It can be a law that only drivers age count as slugs. Let someone sue. They'd lose. It's not big deal. Kids are discriminated against in MANY ways - you can't drive til you're 16, vote til you're 18, drink til you're 21. You pay more insurance if you're a young driver. Etc etc etc. .....so this is different how?
Again, if you're going to MAXIMIZE HOV - get drivers off the road, you need to eliminate the excpetions for not only hybrids, but motorcyles, and children. You'd be surprised how easy the commute would be then. Funny how people want everyone else's exemptions ended, but are very defensive when it's their own exemption. |
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NoSUV
New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote: We could always go back to pre 1973 and allow the reversible lanes to be busses only. That way the "new" HOV exemption would be eliminated along with the "newer" hybrid exemption. |
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Iride
New Slug Joined: 29 Jul 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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The HOV lanes were created to help with the areas clean air act. DC, VA and MD's highway funds are tied into the air quality, that is why code red air days are such a big deal. The act only allows for a small number of Code Red air days. Go over it and there are cuts or fines in the states highway funds. The exemption for hybrid cars was to encurage people to buy them and get a consumer base. VA does this but it goes against the rules of the HOV lanes as agreed on by the Fed's, DC and MD. HOV3 is because 395 corridor was determined to ne a certain percentage of cars removed from that corridor. HOV2 on RT66 for the same reason. They counted cars and crunched some numbers.
As to motorcycles, they pollute less than a full size car and the number of bikes to cars is so low, and frankly they some one lobby in their behalf to allow them. As far as parking, I commute to the parking lot on a motorcycle, I have requested that there be motorcycle designated parking in the lots but nothing has been done. So I am forced to take a full parking spot or risk a parking ticket. I have been slugging for over eight years and think it is a great alternative to driving (or commuting on the bike for that matter). The shear popularity of the hybrid cars with single drivers HAS increased congestion. The HOV lanes may fail due to its' own popularity |
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Wagonman
New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote: They were built before the Clean Air Act. |
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NoSUV
New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote: The HOV lanes were created for several reasons. Orginally, HOV was not even one of the considerations - it was about limited access to assist with traffic flow. After all, if it was just for HOV, then every off/on ramp would have an HOV entry/exit point. Also, it used to be for busses only. Obviously, the "against the rules" is a lame arguement or you would have seen a lawsuit in the federal courts - and we haven't. |
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