Washington Post reporter seeks help on hybrids |
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vabigblue
New Slug Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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K2 - where are you slugging to and from. 2 to 2.5 hours each way???? You must be from Richmond! [?]
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k2
New Slug Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I received my CF plates in the mail just 12 days after I bought my 2004 hybrid. I went to DMV in March, the day after I purchased my car and registered the car in my name. I then filled out a form available on the VA DMV site (http://www.dmvnow.com) and I faxed it to the DMV, who mailed me the plates a few days later. The key was that I resgistered my car myself, instead of letting the dealer take care of it. I can now drive on the HOV lanes by myself if I want to.
I am sorry that some sluggers are hostile towards hybrids and hybrid drivers. I picked up slugs in my last car, but I have not yet done so in my hybrid. I am enjoying my shortened 2 to 2.5 hour commute (each way) on my own for now. Picking up slug added only 15-25 minutes, so I may do that again soon. I have not noticed an HOV congestion problem due to hybrids. I often drive HOV northbound around 8:30 AM, and the HOV lanes are nearly empty, while the SLOW lanes are packed and moving at 25MPH. I do not feel guilty about this, because I am not causing any harm. Perhaps at 7AM there is a big congestion problem due to hybrid cars? Any facts on this? If hybrids (and alternative fuel vehicles) somehow take over the HOV lanes before 2006, I agree that we should consider halting the Clean Fuel HOV incentive. -K2 quote: |
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leblanc9425
New Slug Joined: 06 Aug 2017 Location: Woodbridge Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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Steve,
I am opposed to allowing hybrid's use the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV). From my recollection, the HOV lanes were constructed as a result of the oil crises in the late 70's. Basically this was the government's attempt to encourage carpooling to reduce gas consumption but the only way they could encourage carpooling was to provide a real advantage - a shorter commute. If you were willing to carpool you were rewarded with less traffic and a faster commute. Clean air and reduced emission were a byproduct otherwise they would have been called "Clean Air Lanes"... I applaud those who wish to purchase clean fuel vehicles, but are they really purchasing them for clean air or are they really just trying to shorten their commute? How many CF vehicles do you see on I95? If you really want to make the case for the environment, the government should mandate that CF vehicles should NOT be allowed on the HOV where they are using their combustion engine and not the battery. To really maximize the advantages of the vehicle it should be used at low speeds (to use the battery) and in stop and go traffic which, by the way, is I95 not the HOV! Now let's take this CF vehicle exemption to the logical extension if continued. 1) Instead of one vehicle on the road with three passengers you now have three vehicles with a single occupant each. But, it's actually more line 5 or 10 times the volume because a three fold increase only accounts for the people willing to carpool in the first place. There are thousands more who are unwilling to tolerate the insignificant inconvienences of carpooling. For the first time in their lives, they will become temporarily concerned with the environment and pretend it has nothing to do with the commute. 2) The three hybrid vehicle probably emit more emissions than the one non-hybrid it tends to replace. 3) Instead of one non-hybrid vehicle, there are now three hybrid vehicles on the highways which results in more highway maintenance. If pot holes are created after, say 100,000 vehicles, pass a give spot, then you have just triple the maintenance costs for the state. 4) Parking, already at a premium in DC, become even more expensive as more vehicle must find parking. 5) Worst of all, the HOV become worthless as an incentive to encourage high occupancy. If the HOV does not provide an advantage to sharing your car, then most people simply won't rideshare. If CF vehicle were really about clean air and the environment, and not about the commute, then they should be held to the same standard as other vehiles and be required to have three occupants. |
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ronin718
New Slug Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote: If I remember correctly from a Dr. Gridlock (Washington Post) article, the HOV exemption only applies to those vehicles with the CF tags. Those without and out-of-state hybrids run the risk of getting ticketed, depending on the generosity of the boys in blue. |
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sluDgE
Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501 |
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IMO ....
When it comes to hybrids in the HOV lanes ... "Nearly ALL hybrids are 'slugless'", and "Hybrids should be 'slugged'". [:D] |
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vabigblue
New Slug Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Bob, I might add that some hybrids don't have the "CF" plates and some are from out of state, so we can probably add another 1-2% for those. Thanks
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Bob
New Slug Joined: 14 Dec 2001 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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If VDOT or local agencies wanted to, they could easily provide up to date numbers on how many hybrids are in the state, and on 95. We did get the overall numbers last year in the statewide HOV report (I am too lazy to look it up on my C drive) This information is being intentionally withheld in my opinion. Here is my estimate, and tell me if you think I am off base. I have heard that about 10,000 cars use the 95 HOV (anyone have a better number?). On average, I believe that we now have about 20% hybrids. That would be 2000 hybrids using the road. However, I note that the license plates are now up to almost 10,000. I know that most of the VA hybrids are in Northern VA (75%?). That would b 7500 in Northern VA. But it would seem that that would imply maybe 4000 hybrids for I-95. (Comments?)
Bob |
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vabigblue
New Slug Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Steven, I guess this is the kind of dialogue you wanted and I believe you probably came to the right site for it. At any rate, let me add my two cents in addition to the posts I made in the threads alluded to by "JustWannaGetHome". I agree with all the posts except the one by "Churchlady". In my opinion, the HOV lanes are there for reducing congestion only. I don't understand why these vehicles are exempt from HOV requirements. It doesn't matter if they are clean fuel cars or not, they are still cars and should be subject to the same rules as my Ford Explorer and anybody else's whatever. In addition, while slugging to work this morning, I decided to count Hybrids - not to my surprise, between Tacketts Mill and the Pentagon, I counted a grand total of 51. At this rate, as the other posts indicate, we will soon be saturated by "CF" vehicles.
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Zevida
New Slug Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I think that the only solution to the traffic problems that we have is to get cars off the road. Period. Hybrid vehicles do nothing to help that. Yes, lower pollution is wonderful and all, but Hybrids do not improve the commute for anyone as a whole. By picking up slugs every afternoon, I am eliminating two other cars from the afternoon commute. If we took away two-thirds of the vehicles traveling I-95 south, that would be a tremendous reduction of volume.
I do not support Hybrids in the HOV without three passengers because the goal of HOV is to reduce congestion, and Hybrids are not contributing to that end. |
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emancilla
New Slug Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I was reading the info about the HOV lanes offered by this website that says:
"The intent of restricting the number of occupants is to encourage ridesharing, which in turn reduces the number of vehicles on the highway. With fewer vehicles, the HOV lanes operate generally with less congestion and are much faster than non-HOV lanes." I doesn't say anything that the HOV lanes were created to reduce pollution caused by auto emissions. This is one of the benefits of ridesharing. |
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