URGENT HELP NEEDED NOW - END HYBRIDS ON HOV

All, the following email was received from Marty Nohe, PWC Delegate. If we want the Hybrids off the HOV lanes, we need everyones help NOW. Write all your delegates below & express your support of Michele McQuigg's bill to end the HOV exemption on July 1 2005 -- THIS YEAR !!!!!!

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Dear neighbors-


I am writing to you today because you recently contacted my office regarding the HOV exemption for hybrid vehicles and I wanted to let you know about some recent developments in the General Assembly THAT COULD EFFECT YOUR COMMUTE.


I wanted to bring to your attention two piece of legislation that have recently been proposed by members of Prince William County’s General Assembly delegation for consideration during the current session that directly effect commuters and that specifically deal with the current HOV exemptions that exist in HOV lanes for hybrid vehicles.

Delegate Michele McQuigg (who represents the 51st house district, which includes the Davis Ford Road Corridor, Westridge, Lake Ridge, Occoquan and parts of Woodbridge and Dale City) has proposed a bill that will END the exemption for hybrid vehicles EARLIER than is currently planned. HB2849 would terminate the exemption on July 1, 2005.

You can see the bill in its entirety on the General Assembly’s website by clicking here… HB2849


On the other hand, Senator Jay O’Brien (who represents the 39th senate district, which includes the Davis Ford corridor, Westridge and parts of Lake Ridge, as well as the Clifton area of Fairfax) has proposed a bill that will EXTEND the exemption for hybrid vehicles LONGER than is currently planned. SB1264 would add an additional two years to the exemption, guaranteeing that it remain in place until July 1, 2008.

You can see the bill in its entirety on the General Assembly’s website by clicking here… SB1264

Obviously, these bills are in direct conflict with one and other so it is not possible that they can both pass. Indeed, it is certainly very possible that neither will pass and the time limit for the exemption will not change. However, since I know that many people are very concerned with this issue, I would strongly encourage you to contact your Legislators in Richmond to let them know how you feel about these proposals. Prince William County’s delegation can be reached at the following addresses…

Delegate McQuigg mailto:Del_McQuigg@house.state.va.us

Delegate Marshall mailto:Del_BMarshall@house.state.va.us

Delegate Lingamfelter mailto:Del_Lingamfelter@house.state.va.us

Delegate Parrish mailto:Del_Parrish@house.state.va.us

Delegate Frederick mailto:delegate@va52.com

Senator O’Brien mailto:district39@sov.state.va.us

Senator Puller mailto:district36@sov.state.va.us

Senator Colgan email: district29@sov.state.va.us

Senator Chichester mailto:district28@sov.state.va.us


I hope that this information is helpful to you. If it is, please feel free to share this e-mail with anyone else who you think might be interested in it. Because this is state legislation, I do not have much more information than I have included here, however, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at any time (703-792-4620 or mnohe@pwcgov.org) at any time and we will try to get your questions answered.


Yours,
Marty Nohe

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Please, WRITE TODAY !!!!











Martin E. Nohe

Coles District Supervisor

703-792-4620

This is Post reporter Steven Ginsberg. A hybrid bill that would extend their exemption for two more years may come up in a state Senate committee today and I'm hoping to talk to people on both sides of the hybrid/HOV debate. Please e-mail me at ginsbergs@washpost.com. Thanks for any help.

Steven

All,

I received a call from a few folks in Richmond today. The individual bills that affect the Hybrid issues will be presented & heard by the committee on Tuesday Morning.

In our discussion, we talked about the best way to influence legislation. The following suggestions were made concerning this.

1. Write SHORT personalized emails to members of the transportation sub-committee. (1 or 2 paragraphs)
2. Put a personal face on it. (Examples how this affects you!)Remember that many of the delegates live in towns that don't even have a stop sign.
3. Don't be nasty. ASK for their help.

Remember, they meet on Tuesday, which means that any emails sent need to go out real soon.

Thanks to all for your help !
---------------
Email addresses for Transportation Sub-Committee Members
del_Wardrup@house.state.va.us
del_May@house.state.va.us
del_Wardrup@house.state.va.us
del_Black@house.state.va.us
del_Welch@house.state.va.us
del_Saxman@house.state.va.us
del_Carrico@house.state.va.us
del_Cosgrove@house.state.va.us
del_Gear@house.state.va.us
del_Oder@house.state.va.us
del_Rust@house.state.va.us
del_McDougle@house.state.va.us
del_Hugo@house.state.va.us
del_Scott@house.state.va.us
del_Fralin@house.state.va.us
del_Stump@house.state.va.us
del_Jones@house.state.va.us
del_Moran@house.state.va.us
del_Pollard@house.state.va.us
del_Ward@house.state.va.us
del_Ebbin@house.state.va.us
del_BaCote@house.state.va.us
del_williams@house.stste.va.us
district17@sov.state.va.us
district05@sov.state.va.us
district16@sov.state.va.us
district23@sov.state.va.us
district10@sov.state.va.us
district38@sov.state.va.us
district33@sov.state.va.us
district06@sov.state.va.us
district07@sov.state.va.us
district14@sov.state.va.us
district25@sov.state.va.us
district39@sov.state.va.us
district22@sov.state.va.us
district34@sov.state.va.us


Ron

Thanks to various writers, there have been several articles on the breakdown of the HOV lanes in Northern Virginia. Most noted what thousands of car-pooling Northern Virginia commuters already know; if you want to legally cheat HOV-3, buy a so-called hybrid. If you want to defeat HOV, you may also buy a hybrid.

The legislators may have intended well by allowing hundreds small, “clean fuel” cars onto the HOV-3. However, the hundreds have multiplied to be thousands and now include full-sized LPG fueled trucks, CNG fueled Crown Victorias, and conventionally fueled, Ford Excape SUVs. Almost to a vehicle, these run through a legal loophole and onto the HOV-3 with “room for five, while ridden by one.”

This week, we are at a critical point. Our Legislators, particularly those who chair or sit on transportation sub-committees, need to understand how bad the daily commute has become, and why HOV is critically ill. The sickness is rooted in one cause. However, we have a simple and effective cure.

The Virginia Legislators needs to excise the cancer from the HOV. They need to END ALL EXCEPTIONS THAT ALLOW SOLO DRIVERS IN THESE LANES. Overnight, we will gain a potential to move 4,000 additional commuters without putting another car on the road. Ending the exceptions will decrease overall pollution by putting multiple commuters in the existing clean fuel vehicles. It will relieve HOV congestion. Best yet, it will do this at no additional cost to the taxpayer.

Please stop posting the same message in every folder. If you have a statement you want everyone to see, start a new thread.