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MDC
Moderator
638 Posts |
 Posted - 04/15/2011 : 11:39:08
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Hank Silverberg, wtop.com
WASHINGTON - If you drive a hybrid car or are in the market for one, the rules for HOV lanes in Virginia are about to get a bit more complicated.
Right now, if you drive on Interstate 66 and have a properly registered hybrid, you get to use the HOV lanes until the end of June 2012. But if you buy a hybrid after July 1 of this year, forget it -- you can't use the car pool lanes without another passenger.
Virginia State Delegate Tag Greason (R-Loudoun) says officials are phasing out the special privilege for hybrids because there were too many of the energy-efficient vehicles in the car pool lanes.
Greason drives a hybrid and sponsored a bill to extend the privilege one more year to make the transition smoother.
"Some people have invested money in that vehicle for their commuting purposes, and I think pulling the rug out from under them by eliminating the program cold turkey was not the right approach," Greason says.
On Interstate 95/Interstate 395, the rules were changed five years ago and only drivers who had hybrids before 2006 are allowed to use the HOV lanes without three people in the car. Different license plates alert police to who's OK and who is not.
Not all hybrids qualify for the exemption even if you buy one before July 1. The Department of Motor Vehicles has a list of those that do.
http://wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2345396 |
Edited by - MDC on 04/15/2011 11:40:41 |
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MDC
Moderator
638 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2011 : 11:43:26
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| Now the question is how long will they keep the exemption for old plates, and continue to allow people to transfer their special plates to new cars every year or two. |
Edited by - MDC on 04/15/2011 11:44:17 |
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enburns1018
Starting Member
3 Posts |
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Pele
Advanced Member
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2011 : 12:00:07
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quote:
Originally posted by enburns1018
Here's the latest and greatest from VDOT. Even if a person is purchasing a qualifying vehicle and transferring the plates every two years, the occupancy exemption expires July 1, 2011 whether those plates are "old" or "new". FINALLY!! :)
http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/citizen/vehicles/cleanspecialfuel.asp
Hallelujah!!!
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Times to beat:
Horner Rd to/from Pentagon: 12 mins Without Slugs - 17 mins With slugs
Dale City exit to/from 3rd St Tunnel, D.C. 18 mins (No slugs - Holiday) |
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ETC
Average Member
68 Posts |
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ETC
Average Member
68 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2011 : 15:31:02
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| That's just capping the number of Hybrids on I-66. Sorry, thought the exemption was actually going to expire. |
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SuTaRiCh
Average Member
70 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 13:08:36
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Here is the link you need to clarify Silverberg's article:
http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/northern_virginia/2011/hov_law_for_hybrid51769.asp
HOV exemption on 95/395 was extended to June 30, 2012.
Change to I-66 means that future hybrids will not be exempt (like what they did on 95/395 a few years ago.
The link above that takes you to VDOT page that lists exempt vehicles appears to be out of date - in that it does not reflect that exemption was extended for another year. |
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Pele
Advanced Member
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 08:23:34
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quote:
Originally posted by SuTaRiCh
Here is the link you need to clarify Silverberg's article:
http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/northern_virginia/2011/hov_law_for_hybrid51769.asp
HOV exemption on 95/395 was extended to June 30, 2012.
FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU
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Times to beat:
Horner Rd to/from Pentagon: 12 mins Without Slugs - 17 mins With slugs
Dale City exit to/from 3rd St Tunnel, D.C. 18 mins (No slugs - Holiday) |
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RetiredMarine
Average Member
98 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 07:49:20
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Took this from Colossus911
It was posted on a different spot with-in the site. I hope VA will get SMART and do what CA did already.
Hybrid drivers lose special privileges in Calif.
By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press
Associated Press June 29, 2011 12:36 PM
For six years, California gave owners of hybrid cars the keys to the fast lane: permission to drive alone among carpoolers.
Now hybrids are about to lose the special privilege that was intended as a reward for saving gas and protecting the environment. The vehicles are no longer novel, their key-shaped yellow decals faded from the sun, and transportation officials want to make way for a new generation of even cleaner cars.
Starting Friday, 85,000 hybrid owners have to get back in line with the gas guzzlers, the truckers and everyone else or face steep fines.
State officials say the time has come to end the hugely popular incentive program introduced in August 2005 because they've met their goal of getting drivers to switch to low-emission hybrids, which run on both electricity and gasoline.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/29/national/a123246D38.DTL#ixzz1QmVntIxG |
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NoSUV
Advanced Member
1076 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2011 : 13:12:45
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Um, the article quoted by colossus911 was in error. As well as the conclusion colossus drew.
Read the entire article (even marines are likely capable) and you'll see that the CA exemption is really just shifting from one type of SOV to another. And the author of the article misinterpreted VA law. What happens in 2012 is that the new CSF plates that could be used during HOV hours on I66 designated lanes (and, I presume, I64 in Tidewater) will no longer be issued.
And here I thought RetiredMarine could actually read the other postings in this thread to see his errors. |
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RetiredMarine
Average Member
98 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2011 : 07:46:56
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Yes you are correct the Virginia law makers haven't changed the I-95/I-395 HOV lanes as of yet. We can only hope and Pray they learn from CA. Or are you one of those of give large kick backs to our lawmakers to help them look the other way.
No error in my posting. I stated I hope VA would get smart and do teh same as CA. The rest of the posting was a copy and paste. Glad to be able to help make your day.
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billybaru
Junior Member
36 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2011 : 14:48:38
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| I drive on 395 HOV everyday; so what is the final verdict on hybrids ? I got confused following all of the messages on this topic. I am for HOV-3 for everybody with no hybrid exceptions |
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jramage
New Member
11 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2011 : 07:33:22
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I agree with billy; HOV-3 for everyone. I'm all for green technology, but if the hybrid drivers REALLY want to impact the environment, they'd be picking up two passengers like everyone else to lessen the number of cars on the road. And make taxis do the same.
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siggy14
Junior Member
41 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2011 : 14:01:36
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If taxis do not have a fare they are suppose to be taking two riders as well.
quote:
Originally posted by jramage
I agree with billy; HOV-3 for everyone. I'm all for green technology, but if the hybrid drivers REALLY want to impact the environment, they'd be picking up two passengers like everyone else to lessen the number of cars on the road. And make taxis do the same.
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NoSUV
Advanced Member
1076 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2011 : 01:36:18
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| If y'all believe what YOU post, you'd all be on a bus! |
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billybaru
Junior Member
36 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2011 : 14:56:47
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everybody needs to contact their state reprsentatives to voice the displeasure. For every one complaint received there are 10 more people that just don't do anything about it. politicians know this, I hope.
All it takes is a simple e-mail. Our commute time depends on our collective efforts |
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Changes coming for hybrid vehicles in Va. HOV lane
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