setting the record straight on HOV lanes

[Carnutt]

My wife just talked to the ADOT here in AZ. In answer to her question, with a hybrid we can use the HOV lanes during the restricted hours and won't be ticketed even if we don't have two or more in the car.

She told my wife that the blue plates were limited because they were just a "pilot program" and thus the plates are not required in order to use the HOV lanes.

(DISCLAIMER: In case the ADOT person was wrong I'm going to try to get confirmation by an email contact with them also. I'll let you all know.)

LATE Addendum: THE ADOT PERSON ON THE PHONE WAS WRONG ABOUT THIS !!!

[sundevil]

From the MVD website:
Vehicles that display the Energy Efficient plate will be allowed access to the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes regardless of the number of occupants.

If you are saying that hybrids with only one person are allowed in the HOV lane without the special plate, what is the point in giving out the special plates ? The plates are also limited to Prius, Insight and the Civic hybrid.

I believe the person she talked to did not explain it correctly. If I am wrong there are a lot of hybrid drivers stuck in traffic not taking advantage of the lane. I believe she meant to say that the plates are not required if you have 2 or more occupants.

This link has a lot of info : Motor Vehicle Division

Originally Posted by Carnutt

My wife just talked to the DMV here in AZ. In answer to her question, with a hybrid we can use the HOV lanes and won't be ticketed even if we don't have two or more in the car.

She told my wife that the blue plates were limited because they were just a "pilot program" and thus the plates are not required in order to use the HOV lanes.

(DISCLAIMER: In case the MVD person was misinformed I'm going to try to get confirmation by an email contact with them also.)

[Carnutt]

Originally Posted by sundevil

From the MVD website:
Vehicles that display the Energy Efficient plate will be allowed access to the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes regardless of the number of occupants.

If you are saying that hybrids with only one person are allowed in the HOV lane without the special plate, what is the point in giving out the special plates ? The plates are also limited to Prius, Insight and the Civic hybrid.

I believe the person she talked to did not explain it correctly. If I am wrong there are a lot of hybrid drivers stuck in traffic not taking advantage of the lane. I believe she meant to say that the plates are not required if you have 2 or more occupants.

This link has a lot of info : Motor Vehicle Division

Well, my wife made a point out of saying only one person in the car. The ADOT person said it was only a "pilot program" for the blue plates and they are not required because they are no longer available (which sounds logical). What was the point in giving out a special plate and discontinuing them yet building a lot more HOV lanes?

Furthermore, if you have two or more in the car neither the plates nor hybrids are required to use the HOV lane during restricted hours. The lanes were made to encourage car-pooling and/or hybrid use, not to possess the blue plates per se.

BUT....I'm still skeptical because of what you and others have said and am trying to get confirmation as you and others should before we hang our hats on this.

AND, THE EMAIL I GOT THIS AFTERNOON CONFIRMS WRONG INFORMATION ON THE PHONE. THE HYBRID CAR ALONE, WITHOUT THE LIMITED BLUE PLATE, DOES NOT ALLOW ONE PERSON IN THE CAR TO USE THE HOV LANE DURING RESTRICTED HOURS.

sundevil IS right !

[jay_man2]

In Virginia you need to have the Clean Special Fuel Plate to drive in the HOV lanes with one person in the vehicle. Without that plate, HOV enforcement would be impossible; there's no sure way for law enforcement to know what is or is not a hybrid.

[kabin]

Part of the rationale was AZ getting dinged on too many high polution days along with encouraging more fuel efficient vehicles for US fuel independence. This was back in the time when many were buying fuel hungry suvs.

A blue plated hybrid is needed to drive solo in AZ hov lanes during restricted hours. No question about it.

[kabin]

California recently announced their similar program is being discontinued at the end of 2010. They're looking into starting a new program, old hybrids will not qualify, new min fuel economy will be 65mpg! AZ will likely do something similar - it encourages more auto sales and a boon to the state's sales tax.

Time to save some money for a new plug in.

[Carnutt]

Originally Posted by kabin

A blue plated hybrid is needed to drive solo in AZ hov lanes during restricted hours. No question about it.

Well, that's what I was lead to believe, but with the conflicting info. my wife got from ADOT this morning I'm going to try and confirm or refute this.


email from ADOT this afternoon: phone call info. was wrong, kabin is right !

[Carnutt]

Got the email back from ADOT:

You CANNOT drive in the HOV lane during restricted hours without two or more people in the car without the Blue plate.

They're not sure if they're going to restart the special plate program even though they still show it on their ADOT website.



(So, the person my wife talked to at ADOT, Kristin, was WRONG)