Washington Post reporter seeks help on hybrids

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   That is a fair way to see this situation, sludge. HOV-3 means 3 people per vehicle. Otherwise, it will defeat the purpose of reducing the total of vehicles on the road. Hybrids are not environmental friendly. They still consume gasoline we have to import from foreign countries anyway. Remember, we've almost exhausted our oil reserves. Even if we all convert to hybrids, we'll still have to import oil.

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emancilla Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote emancilla Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 1:00pm
	That is a fair way to see this situation, sludge. HOV-3 means 3 people per vehicle. Otherwise, it will defeat the purpose of reducing the total of vehicles on the road. Hybrids are not environmental friendly. They still consume gasoline we have to import from foreign countries anyway. Remember, we've almost exhausted our oil reserves. Even if we all convert to hybrids, we'll still have to import oil.

LisaDeanna Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote LisaDeanna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 1:08pm
	quote: Originally posted by RoadRunner The underlying objective of the HOV lanes is to reduce traffic -- not to get more hybrid cars on the road -- this defeats the purpose of an incentive. Hybrids are not environmentally friendly either. They still use gasoline and put out exhaust. One of the most environmentally friendly moves a hybrid owner can make is to pickup slugs. I disagree. They are definitely environmentally friendly. They may not be envornmentally FLAWLESS, but they are the best vehicle out there when it comes to emissions (except for motorcycles). And the best thing that any driver can do for the environment AND CONGESTION is take the bus. Slugging it obviously a great step in the right direction: using 1/2 to 1/4 of the fuel of a single driver. Taking the bus, has FAR better fuel economy than even slugging. But obviously, there are many times the bus just isn't a good option and that's why we're talking here.

bunker1 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote bunker1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 1:23pm
	quote: Originally posted by sluDgE [br]Lisa D, I really like hybrids and, like you, I'm considering getting one as our next car for the obvious environmental and fuel economy reasons. I see hybrids as the most fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly option available now for HOV commuting; but I, like many, would like to see all cars in the HOV lanes carry 3 or 4 passengers. (1 gas guzzler with 3 souls on board causes less congestion and less pollution than 3 gas guzzlers with only ONE person aboard ... likewise 1 hybrid with 3 souls on board is better for the same reasons than 3 hybrids with just ONE person aboard). My point is if we want to cut down the congestion, delays, and long back-ups on the I-95/I-395 HOV lanes, let's reduce the total number of cars by trying to put at least 3(or 4) people in each HOV car. Probably a mission impossible. [;)] I agree with that logic .... 1 gas guzzling bus with 50 souls on board causes less congestion and less pollution than 15 gas guzzler cars with 3 persons each (45 persons) and 1 gas guzzler bus with 5 persons onboard. So I expect I will be seeing you all filling up those empty buses soon?????

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: 23 Apr 2004 at 1:29pm
	I'm sorry LisaD, but I disagree with parts of your comment. The hybrid may be enviornmentally friendly to a certain extent; however, that has nothing to do with HOV-3. Like someone before said, if it is such a positive to the environment, then why not restrict them (hybrids) to the regular lanes? There are certainly more vehicles in those lanes than the HOV lanes. I would think to take as many cars off the road as possible would apply to those lanes more. The real reason for HOV is to lessen congestion which really translates into slugging. Slugs and car-pooling is the real reason for less congestion, not some idea of mixing in another brand of vehicle for the purpose of "incentive".

LisaDeanna Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote LisaDeanna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 2:03pm
	quote: Originally posted by bunker1 I agree with that logic .... 1 gas guzzling bus with 50 souls on board causes less congestion and less pollution than 15 gas guzzler cars with 3 persons each (45 persons) and 1 gas guzzler bus with 5 persons onboard. So I expect I will be seeing you all filling up those empty buses soon????? Ok - I guess I can't speak for the area where you commute, but the buses along the Dulles Toll Road are full during rush hour. Even well into the evening they are well-used. I rode the 980 the other evening leaving WFChurch metro at 10:15pm and the bus had at least 10 people on it.

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 2:33pm
	Bunker, you da MAN! Fire up that bus, and pick me up! I'm a-sluggin'! [;)]

ronin718 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote ronin718 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 2004 at 4:25pm
	Part of the reason those buses on the toll road are full is because there is no slug line/system from the west like the one coming up from the south (I95). Since the area has only been "developing" in the last 10 years probably contributes to that, and it will take time for the system to build. Another aspect is the lack of HOV support/enforcement. With only one HOV lane until you get to the beltway, there's little incentive for drivers to share. That one lane gets backed up almost as easily as the other three on the toll road, especially approaching the plaza.

motownldy199 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Apr 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote motownldy199 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 Apr 2004 at 9:23am
	I, too, am a new hybrid driver, after living in the area for nearly twenty years--nearly 15 of them without a car. I've lived in VA for the last six years, and have take the bus, Metro, VRE, and yes, I've slugged to work. I believe in public transportation. But I think hybrids can be a solution to some of our problems. I don't have my CF plates, but I'm going to apply for them, and yes, I'm going to use them. I'd love to pick up slugs--and used to--when I occasionally drove to my job downtown until my husband asked me, for safety's sake, not to. But now I have a 27 mile, one way commute to Silver Spring. Guess what? For me to pick some one up and drop them off at the Pentagon or in DC would add more time, not less to my commute. And I went to commuter connections--no carpool options for me (plenty of people wanted rides, but there were no drivers and the hours were not a good fit). So what are people like me supposed to do? Not everyone who is driving a hybrid on the HOV lanes is coming from Fredricksburg--a lot of us live closer in, like me, and need to get to work on time just as much as anyone else. And for the people snickering and LisaDeanna, give me a break. None of us is too 'good' to take a bus. You all want to preserve the right to slug--and get a free ride--and I support that. But the hostility is not needed. I agree that if the CF cars get to be too much of a problem that they should be restricted, but the hostility is just too much, folks.

motownldy199 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Apr 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote motownldy199 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Apr 2004 at 3:59am
	quote: Originally posted by motownldy199 [br]I, too, am a new hybrid driver, after living in the area for nearly twenty years--nearly 15 of them without a car. I've lived in VA for the last six years, and have take the bus, Metro, VRE, and yes, I've slugged to work. I believe in public transportation. But I think hybrids can be a solution to some of our problems. I don't have my CF plates, but I'm going to apply for them, and yes, I'm going to use them. I'd love to pick up slugs--and used to--when I occasionally drove to my job downtown until my husband asked me, for safety's sake, not to. But now I have a 27 mile, one way commute to Silver Spring. Guess what? For me to pick some one up and drop them off at the Pentagon or in DC would add more time, not less to my commute. And I went to commuter connections--no carpool options for me (plenty of people wanted rides, but there were no drivers and the hours were not a good fit). So what are people like me supposed to do? Not everyone who is driving a hybrid on the HOV lanes is coming from Fredricksburg--a lot of us live closer in, like me, and need to get to work on time just as much as anyone else. And for the people snickering and LisaDeanna, give me a break. None of us is too 'good' to take a bus. You all want to preserve the right to slug--and get a free ride--and I support that. But the hostility is not needed. I agree that if the CF cars get to be too much of a problem that they should be restricted, but the hostility is just too much, folks.

Max_28756 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Location: Va Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Max_28756 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 Apr 2004 at 9:31am
	I'm not sure where you live that it takes 2+ hrs to get to work, but I commute from Rt 17 and it takes 45 min max (15 min to get to the lot so an hour total). On the Hybrid issue, those who purchase a hybrid car are receiving a tax break from the IRS. This should be incentive enough. HOV-3 should mean just that, have 3 or more in your car. For motorcycle or Honda Insight drivers, 1 or 2 is fine. The bottom line is that there needs to be more information out there to encourage drivers to car pool / slug. On a side note...bravo to the men in blue who are making it expensive to violate the HOV-3 rule!