The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
A Virginia Beach lawmaker hopes to encourage more use of Hampton Roads’ high-occupancy vehicle lanes by drivers of hybrid cars.
“Our HOV lanes are grossly underutilized,” Del. Chris Stolle told a House of Delegates subcommittee Monday. “We want to have every possible incentive to get people onto those lanes.”
To that end, Stolle, a Republican, introduced HB256, a five-year extension of the current law allowing hybrid vehicles with special state-issued “clean fuel” license plates to use local HOV lanes.
Those lanes, which run along Interstates 64 and 564 to and from Norfolk Naval Base and along I-64 on the Peninsula, are generally restricted to vehicles with at least two occupants during rush hours. Hybrids, however, are allowed on the lanes with only one occupant if they have the special plates.
For several years, the General Assembly has been extending the “sunset,” or expiration date, of the hybrid provision one year at a time. Under current law, the provision expires July 1.
Stolle’s bill would extend it until July 1, 2017. Stolle said he hopes that will reduce motorists’ uncertainty over whether a hybrid is a prudent purchase.
The measure was approved by the subcommittee and now advances to the full House Transportation Committee.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Not sure if hybrids are a prudent purchase for everyone
But since buying ours, our combined mileage for 35K miles is 46 mpg with the best tank over 52 mpg. Went from $90+ a week (SUV) in gas to $15. Thinking about it then, we should restrict hybrids to regular lanes ( mine shuts off when not moving ) and give the HOV's to the under 10 mpg set so they can get where they are going quickly and stop using fuel. Crazy thought!
Hybrids
At highway speeds hybrids run on the gas engine, so what's the point? The point is to pass legislation and give tax credits so people will buy these overpriced vehicles that have little long term reliability statistics. Otherwise most people probably wouldn't buy them.
HOT lanes
Why not a bill to make the HOV lanes HOT (High Occupancy and TOLL) lanes? I would gladly pay $50.00 per month for a sticker similar to the inspection sticker that shows I paid to use the lane. Purchase the sticker at the DMV thus no new infrastructure needed to implement. I see the HOV lanes empty while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and think what a waste of roadway.
There's other ways to make buying a hybrid prudent
Raising the gasoline tax for the first time since Baliles was governor would be a good start.
And it might even make sure the Commonwealth has enough funds coming in to maintain those free roads in Virginia Beach.
Ride the choo choo and keep
Ride the choo choo and keep your hands out of my pockets.
If you saw my tax returns
You might change your tune. I don't own a McMansion. I don't (and won't) have kids. And the income taxes I pay reflect that.
On a perfect day, I generate
On a perfect day, I generate 700 watts of green electricity. I have a 1500 sqft home for a family of four and r50 in the attic.
Good for you
Many other families your size have a lot more space.
Doesn't change the fact that gasoline taxes can't even maintain, much less build, the infrastructure to support cars. Or that public transportation in Hampton Roads is inadequate at best. Putting tens of thousands more hybrid cars on the road won't change that reality.
HOV lanes are a failure
HOV lanes are a failure. All they do is make traffic more congested at the busiest time of the day. Get rid of them!
When they added the hov
When they added the hov lanes on "44" they also added another lane to use so we ended up with 2 more lanes. So one lane for HOV didnt hurt.