Hybrid Congestion

Rev, if you flip back to some of NoSUVs previous rants, er..., I mean posts, you'll see that NoSUV advocates solutions for other peoples problems, and then will not participate in the very solution NoSUV proposes. NoSUV does not participate in slugging and does not ride mass transit.

Kind of puts this conversation into perspective, dosen't it?!

quote:

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Originally posted by raymond
[br]NoSUV and Al Gore, now there's a pair! I suspect its an affair of convenience though, NoSUVs convenience. It is convenient for NoSUV to cozy up to the ecological right-wingers and claim allegiance, as long as it supports NoSUVs POV. But since you don't participate in slugging, what do you care?

Of course I could do the same thing if I wanted to buy my way into psuedo-ecological good graces. But I'm considering a hybrid SUV and driving to work alone; does that still count? I guess, by NoSUVs standards it would, even though a number of traditional cars get better gas mileage. But I would have to change my screen name to YeSUV!

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raymond, I know you have problems remembering things, but surely you can remember that my hybrid was purchased without the need for the HOV exemption.

If you are currently a driver, you should absolutely buy a SULEV - whether or not you pick up slugs. Hopefully, the slug system will become Overcome By Events and become a footnote in a historical file - after all, that's the only way the congestion problem will be solved while improving the environment. Slugs need to get out of private vehicles and into mass transit.

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Originally posted by MDC
[br]I think I've seen the light. Slugging causes long commutes! Amazing!

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MDC - FINALLY! It took you long enough. Slugging was a good idea back in the 90's, but now is the major cause of our congestion problems. ALL of those slugs should be on mass transit. Then and only then will the commute get shorter for everyone.

NoSUV and Al Gore, now there's a pair! I suspect its an affair of convenience though, NoSUVs convenience. It is convenient for NoSUV to cozy up to the ecological right-wingers and claim allegiance, as long as it supports NoSUVs POV. But since you don't participate in slugging, what do you care?

Of course I could do the same thing if I wanted to buy my way into psuedo-ecological good graces. But I'm considering a hybrid SUV and driving to work alone; does that still count? I guess, by NoSUVs standards it would, even though a number of traditional cars get better gas mileage. But I would have to change my screen name to YeSUV!

tangelo - the DC area per the census bureau is the 8th largest metro area, but it has either the 2nd or 3rd worst commute, depending on which source you want to use. It's also the only area that has a slug system. Coincedence? Nope.

As you have pointed out in another post, at times the slug line is rather long. What would happen if all of the slugs were on mass transit instead of private vehicles? Would the number of cars on the road go down? OF COURSE!

That clears the relatively minor jam in the express lanes, but doesn't help the regular lanes out. Solution? Pull some of the vehicles from the regular lanes into the express lanes and everybody wins. EVERYBODY.

However, a discriminator needs to be made between which cars can go in the express lanes, and which cannot. With global warming a, well, global concern, it makes sense to use the discriminator of SULEV - and it's been proven in Virginia that such an incetive works VERY WELL.

The other possibility is through a fee, which might be referred to as a toll. In this case, you would have to charge ALL vehicles more than the price of mass transit, which would put the slugs where they belong on buses and allow folks with too much money in the regular lanes a way to buy their way out of the congestion.

Which do you prefer? We all know the current situation won't work...