Washington Post reporter seeks help on hybrids

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   The hybrid is primarily used to access the HOV lanes.  Most owners, as indicated, buy them just for that. Incentives to cause congestion. What a great system!

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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: 29 Apr 2004 at 8:26am
	The hybrid is primarily used to access the HOV lanes. Most owners, as indicated, buy them just for that. Incentives to cause congestion. What a great system!

k2 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote k2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 Apr 2004 at 12:59pm
	quote: Originally posted by vabigblue [br]K2 - where are you slugging to and from. 2 to 2.5 hours each way???? You must be from Richmond! [?] I live 30 miles from Richmond. 125 miles from DC. However, I have rented a room near DC so I can make the long trip just once or twice a week, in my hybrid. I think I am helping to reduce congestion a bit, by driving up 95 on Monday (or Tuesday) and back on Thursday. I often wait until 8pm to drive home, so 395 and 95 are much faster at that time. Still, the drive is often 2.5 hours due to rubbernecking or other congestion.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 1:08pm
	I don't know how you can commute, even twice a week, from where you live. I live in Woodbridge, and I considered this area too far from DC.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 1:11pm
	quote: Originally posted by vabigblue [br]The hybrid is primarily used to access the HOV lanes. Most owners, as indicated, buy them just for that. Incentives to cause congestion. What a great system! Then why did the state adopt the system in the first place? Obviously they didn't do it to legislate congestion.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 1:26pm
	Ok - so there are cars out there that have better emissions than some of the Hybrids. All the same, Hybrids' emissions are VERY low. Now lets talk gas milage. Hard to beat a hybrid on gas milage. Face it: these cars are low emissions AND they get the best gas milage. And as Motown pointed out, those are two things that the legislature appears to value. Fighting congestion is obviously important, but it seems like its the ONLY thing that some of the posters here care about. Don't you care about using less fuel? Or is that just a convenient by-product of slugging to get to work faster?

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 1:41pm
	quote: Originally posted by LisaDeanna [br]Ok - so there are cars out there that have better emissions than some of the Hybrids. All the same, Hybrids' emissions are VERY low. Now lets talk gas milage. Hard to beat a hybrid on gas milage. Face it: these cars are low emissions AND they get the best gas milage. And as Motown pointed out, those are two things that the legislature appears to value. Fighting congestion is obviously important, but it seems like its the ONLY thing that some of the posters here care about. Don't you care about using less fuel? Or is that just a convenient by-product of slugging to get to work faster? I think we all need to get real here. I kind of get insulted when I'm told that the only reason that I bought my prius was to ride the HOV-1. Yeah, that's why it's taken me so long to get off my duff and file for the CF plates. Some of us do care about the environment. And we can all fight congestion by taking the excellent public transporation in most of this area (VRE is super, BTW). While I think that slugging is great, and that fighting congestion is great, how many people are in this fight to come to an equitable solution to traffic in this area...and how many people are in it for the free rides? C'mon. If we move to HOT lanes, are you all going to pile into the trains, commuter busses, etc....or are you going to drive? I'm dying to know.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 1:49pm
	Can anyone post Virginia's official mission statement or purpose for HOV lanes? Is there one? I think we all need to see it. Just might clear things up a bit. [;)]

JiggaJynx Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote JiggaJynx Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 Apr 2004 at 2:04pm
	quote: Originally posted by motownldy199 C'mon. If we move to HOT lanes, are you all going to pile into the trains, commuter busses, etc....or are you going to drive? I'm dying to know. Assuming you're truly curious [8D], I will probably go back to riding the bus when the most successful slugging system in the country dies because cheap tolls turn the "fast" HOV lanes into a near parking lot like the "regular" lanes. At least I can read or sleep when my commute time doubles.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 2:13pm
	quote: Originally posted by motownldy199 C'mon. If we move to HOT lanes, are you all going to pile into the trains, commuter busses, etc....or are you going to drive? I'm dying to know. All I can say is the HOT lanes would really stink. Ugh. Nothing makes me cringe more than the idea of wealthier people being able to get to work faster simply because they can afford it. And lets face it, a LOT of people in this area will be able to afford it. Add to that the erosion of slugging and other good commuting options that would go along with it. I wish I could go to the hearing tonight to express but I have to work late. [:(] Anyone know if there is a website where a person can offer comments on the system? I'd love to add my 2 cents.

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: 29 Apr 2004 at 3:02pm
	quote: Originally posted by JiggaJynx [br] quote: Originally posted by motownldy199 C'mon. If we move to HOT lanes, are you all going to pile into the trains, commuter busses, etc....or are you going to drive? I'm dying to know. Assuming you're truly curious [8D], I will probably go back to riding the bus when the most successful slugging system in the country dies because cheap tolls turn the "fast" HOV lanes into a near parking lot like the "regular" lanes. At least I can read or sleep when my commute time doubles. I am truly curious. I think that HOT lanes stink, but as long as Virginians keep voting down tax increases for transportation, what the heck else is Richmond supposed to do? It leaves states and municipalities open to profitmaking sharks who have 'bright" ideas such as HOT lanes. As for me, when the roads get too crowded I'll probably park and go Metro/VRE. Unfortunately, you'd think they'd come up with a suburb to suburb option for folks like me.