Will FHA nix VA law extension on hybrids?

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Originally posted by Doug Baggett
[br]I've seen almost no coverage of any response from FHA concerning VDOT's response to FHA's concerns about HOV traffic and hybrids. I know there was a law going through congress that would let states ultimately decide the rules for HOV and that FHA was delaying any action against virginia (since VA is in violation of Federal regulations) until that Bill was passed (or not).

FHA has a VERY big stick. If that law was not passed in congress they can basically threaten to take away highway construction money.

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Repeal the Julliette Lowe bill and return operating control of the Shirely corridor to people that live in the corridor. The people that drive the corridor.

Free the Shirley regular lanes. Recruit enough passengers so ALL lanes free flow.

Only slugs are recruiting slugs. Elected officials squash slugs. Appointed officials poach slugs into VRE and METRO.

dickboyd@aol.com

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Originally posted by mikester
[br]You'd prefer a more taxpayer funded private highway for hybrid owners. If I owned one, I'd want that too. I guess I can't blame you for being selfish. Even if you try to veil it under enviromentalism.
Sooner or later the majority of vehicles will be some sort of alternative fuel or hybrids. That will make the exemption a mute point. Then we'll be in the same situation as we are now. But with that much more growth and people around. I think HOV should stay HOV3. I don't care what kinda fuel the machine uses. It seems like theres a bigger problem with congestion than air quality around here.

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mikester - I posted this on another thread, but it answers your post.

A global crisis exists with dwindling fuel resources and global warming. The VERY BEST plan for the express lanes is to ban private vehicles; next best is to allow HOV hybrids along with public transportation vehicles.

The question is which is "better", conventional HOV (which does nothing to help with the major global problems when those vehicles are not being used for commuting) or SOV hybrids (which may be less efficient than some HOV conventional vehicles during commuting only, but are the clear choice when not being used for commuting). Throw into the mix that express lanes are still far faster and more free flowing than the regular lanes during commuting hours.

Actually, it means that all non-CF private vehicles need to get out of the express lanes - forever!

I can't wait for the day that we finally get around to allowing ONLY hybrids and CF vehicles in the express lanes! Talk about making leaving a better world behind for our kids. Best is to get it to HOV-CF. How can we get there?

Actually, one way to look at this is fairly positive for us anti-hybrids. It is a statewide law and it is true that the way the overall bill is put forth with the one year extension, the support is almost unanimous for 2007. However, another slant on it is that we did WIN the grandfather clause for 95, which is a real victory for us and CAPS the total count. They didn't have to put that in, and putting it in was a real acknowledgement of the awareness of a developing severe problem on this road.

Let's hear it for all you guys that contributed to this partial victory by sending emails etc.

So much for some people's thinking that only slugs think there is a problem.

What I would like to know more about is whether the various committees discussed or considered ending the exemption altogether on 95 only. Guess we may never know.

If anyone gets any information to shed more light on what is going on or went on in Richmond please post it.