Continued awful trips on HOV

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   Thats the same argument I had on another post.  More People are moving South.  PERIOD!!! And not one person that complains about hybrids want to admit or recognize thats the case.  Look around, all those new homes being built at an incredible rate.  You don't think they are commuting.  The slug line at 610 between 5 and 5:30 will have almost 20 people waiting.  That was unheard of several months ago.

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sancochojoe Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote sancochojoe Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 12:11pm
	Thats the same argument I had on another post. More People are moving South. PERIOD!!! And not one person that complains about hybrids want to admit or recognize thats the case. Look around, all those new homes being built at an incredible rate. You don't think they are commuting. The slug line at 610 between 5 and 5:30 will have almost 20 people waiting. That was unheard of several months ago.

vabigblue Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote vabigblue Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 12:20pm
	quote: Originally posted by Connie [br]The bottom line is that in the past month, the HOV lanes have become a nightmare commute.[:(!]I've heard several culprits - backups from early morning that drag on, downtown flooding and yes, even Hybrids. I have certainly observed more CF license plates in the lanes and while some might argue they are not the problem, they WILL become the problem as more and more are purchased. While some want the exemption continued because they bought the Hybrid to take the HOV lanes and get to work faster, I could argue that I and others bought our homes where we did because we could carpool via the HOV lanes and get to work faster. Therefore, I too am interested in protecting my investment[:)]and I believe that everyone benefits when the HOV system addresses congestion as it was originally intended. I've read that some people are sending emails - to who? And about what specifically? Well said Connie. Hybrids are not only a "minor" part of the problem, they are a "major" part and will be as long as they're permitted to drive in the HOV lanes. HOV lanes are for multiple (3 or more) riders only, or that's what I am led to believe.

3ForHOV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote 3ForHOV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 12:33pm
	quote: Originally posted by KCWolfPck [br]Well....more and more people are moving down south. This is leading to more and more people carpooling. Thus more and more people in the HOV. It's not just hybrids....it is just more people moving into the area....PERIOD! I just read a study that said at the current population growth rate, that 5 minutes would be added to our commute every four months for the next 3 years. So if you think it's bad now....just wait. It's only going to get worse. It has steadily been deteriorating over the last decade. It seems like right after Hurricane Isabel, traffic has been horrific day and night!!! It's even worse when it's drizzling rain!!! I can't see blaming the traffic doubling over the last month and half on people moving down south. Most have to get the feel of the area and get settled first before finding the commuter lots, directions, etc. I see way more Hybrids than I see cheaters on my daily commute day and night.

KCWolfPck Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote KCWolfPck Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 12:45pm
	I don't get it that people blame hybrids. Note: I do not drive a hybrid...I carpool. I used to drive myself in the single lanes. That got to be unbearable so I started carpooling. I'm sure there are MANY others like myself who just couldn't take the drive anymore and started finding ways to use the HOV. Now....out of the thousands of cars that use the HOV...how many do you think are hybrids??? I'd guess 100-200 at the MOST are in the lanes at any given time and I think that's a high estimate. That is a small fraction of the cars. Think back several months. Adding 200 cars to the HOV lanes would be inconsequential. It might mean that you woulda had to pass an extra car or two...but whoopie. These backups that go from the beltway to 14th street are not caused by just 200 cars I promise you. Sure...they don't help the situation...but they certainly don't cause them. The straight fact is that more people are on the HOV. It is cause by more people moving south, former single drivers that finally started carpooling or slugging, and hybrids. In my opinion.....I think the hybrid is the least significant of the 3.

Arbo Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 28 May 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Arbo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 1:03pm
	Acording to news reports over the last several months, there were several thousand hybrids bought in the DC metro area over the last 12 months alone. The most popular reasons given for purchase: HOV exemption and environment. I'd estimate about 5-10% of the cars I see in the HOV-3 during HOV hours are hybrids, almost all with only 1 person in a car with 4 doors. While Hybrids are not the only reason for the congestion, they are one cause that is very easy to fix - just get rid of their exception status. Like Connie said, I bought a house in Stafford because of the "affordable" price and the fact that slugging the HOV allowed me to get to work in less than an hour.

Connie Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Connie Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 1:09pm
	I agree that a large problem is increased population. However, I think that it's within the increased population that the Hybrid use can grow. If people bought their homes near the HOV in order to carpool and get to work faster, it stands to reason that some may choose to move further south and purchase Hybrids to both get more affordable housing and a better commute. Hybrids don't have to wait in line and pick up slugs or park and ride so they have the quickest commute - get in your car and go. That's a very attractive option and more people will take advantage of it. If 300 HOV commuters are added to a population area and carpool, that's 100 cars - for every one of those people who choose to drive a Hybrid, that 100 goes up. Perhaps not a significant problem now, but as Bob and others have observed, give it a year or two. HOV should be for vehicles that carry more than one person, plain and simple. (That goes for law enforcement officers not on duty - if they are commuting, they should have to follow the same rules we do.) If exemptions are going to be granted for single riders for who they are or what they drive, then change the name of the roads from HOV so there's no misperception on who the road is for.

MDC Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 04 Dec 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote MDC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 1:46pm
	It may depend on what time you're looking. But at times, half the cars around me(say 5 of 10), are hybrids. I was rear ended last week by a hybrid in the HOV lanes, and it seems that at least half the accidents in HOV involve a car with CF plates. How is this possible if they make up only a small percentage of the vehicles?

sancochojoe Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote sancochojoe Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 1:50pm
	The problem is, Hybrids are easy to blame, because it is tangible. When your on the HOV you see a hybrid then you get emotional and blame the whole problem on the hybrid. Nobody is throwing statistics out on the population growth moving outside the beltway. It's not tangible. You cant go to a new residents front door and ask them if they are using the HOV and that they are the cause of the new traffic problem. Or you might even suggest, if you have to nerve, to tell them to move back into the beltway because they are increasing the traffic for long term residents. Or how about telling them, they have until 2007 to move back to the city. As you see, thats not tangible, you cant just throw out blame like you can to hybrid drivers. I've also noticed how traffic has started to stretch past Quantico into Stafford heading north to DC. Should I blame that on the influx of hybrids using the main roads on 95 as well. Sure why not.

cdatkins Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote cdatkins Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 2:08pm
	I don't think hybrids OR a moving population can account for the absolute SURGE of backups we have had in HOV over the last month. It seems to be much worse when it rains. Sure, sometimes it backs up when it's nice, but the weather seems to have a lot to do with it. And it's been raining a lot lately...and the flooding certainly makes things back up. I am noticing more localized back-up at the Springfield interchange as well...mostly due to construction. But if this keeps up, we need to organize slugging to the Springfield Metro (at least from the Woodbridge area) because I would rather be moving on the Metro than stuck in the HOV.

KCWolfPck Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote KCWolfPck Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2003 at 3:10pm
	Well....if everyone is so certain it is the hybrids, then explain why the traffic in the regular lanes isn't getting better. I would think that with 'ALL THE MASSES OF PEOPLE CHANGING OVER TO HYBRIDS' that the result would be better traffic in the regular lanes. It looks to me that theregular lanes are getting worse as well. So unless people are driving their regular vehicles and their hybrids at the same time....that theory is out the window.