Diamond Lane

[TeePee06]

Is California the ONLY state that allows EV owners to drive in the diamond lane???

[Stringmike]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TeePee06 @ May 13 2007, 02:57 AM) [snapback]440956[/snapback]</div>

Is California the ONLY state that allows EV owners to drive in the diamond lane???
[/b]

Nope - Arizona does too.

Mike

[9G-man]

We have HOV lanes in the Atlanta area of Georgia , too. But no Hybrid permit. Really disapoints me too, I've called everyone I can think of, and no one will make it happen.

[bgdrewsif]

Wow.. y'all need some perspective... as far as I know we do not even have any HOV lanes in the entire state of Ohio (someone correct me if I am wrong). I have never seen any in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnatti or Toledo... and I am fairly certain Akron, Canton or any of the other mid-size cities dont have them... and we have nearly 12 million people in Ohio... with a lot of Prii... So perspective people, perspective... At least you have HOV lanes... so go get a passenger and carpool.. that is what they are for!

[qbee42]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bgdrewsif @ May 14 2007, 08:40 AM) [snapback]441548[/snapback]</div>

Wow.. y'all need some perspective... as far as I know we do not even have any HOV lanes in the entire state of Ohio (someone correct me if I am wrong). I have never seen any in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnatti or Toledo... and I am fairly certain Akron, Canton or any of the other mid-size cities dont have them... and we have nearly 12 million people in Ohio... with a lot of Prii... So perspective people, perspective... At least you have HOV lanes... so go get a passenger and carpool.. that is what they are for!
[/b]

Ha, I like this reply. It reminds me of how we all view the world through our own situations. Not only do we not have HOV lanes where I live, we don't have divided highways. The State of Michigan does, obviously, but not in this part of the state. I have to drive for and hour and a half to get to one. I tend to look at driving as having to do with two lane roads. Our traffic problems are caused by tourists and old people. We do have traffic tie-ups during rush hour in Traverse City, which is the nearest large city (population 14,532), but these are caused by a few traffic pinch points into and out of the city and could be fixed if the local citizens would agree on where to add more roads.

Talking about traffic and the roads in the U.S. is like the old story of blind men describing an elephant.

Tom

[morpheusx]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bgdrewsif @ May 14 2007, 08:40 AM) [snapback]441548[/snapback]</div>

Wow.. y'all need some perspective... as far as I know we do not even have any HOV lanes in the entire state of Ohio (someone correct me if I am wrong). I have never seen any in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnatti or Toledo... and I am fairly certain Akron, Canton or any of the other mid-size cities dont have them... and we have nearly 12 million people in Ohio... with a lot of Prii... So perspective people, perspective... At least you have HOV lanes... so go get a passenger and carpool.. that is what they are for!
[/b]

Nope they definately don't exist in Akron or Canton, as far as I know the closest we have in Ohio is that there are a few places in Cleveland and Columbus that have "Express Lanes" .

Oh I thought I had heard that hybrids have unlimited access to HOV lanes in VA, but I could be wrong.

[jtmhog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(morpheusx @ May 14 2007, 12:15 PM) [snapback]441694[/snapback]</div>

Nope they definately don't exist in Akron or Canton, as far as I know the closest we have in Ohio is that there are a few places in Cleveland and Columbus that have "Express Lanes" .

Oh I thought I had heard that hybrids have unlimited access to HOV lanes in VA, but I could be wrong.
[/b]

Norther VA (around Wash D.C.) and Tidewater (Norfolk, Va Beach) have HOV lanes. In northern VA, hybrides and motorcycles have access to the HOV lanes during rush hours when the lanes are restricted. You have to get a clean fuel license plate to be legal. The state stopped issuing the plates for I95/I395 HOV lanes 6/30/06 because the lanes were backing up. I bought my 06 Prius 6/28/06 and applied for the special plates the same day. The original state law allowing the hybrids expired 6/30/07. In 1/07 they extended the law to 6/30/08. I66 in northern VA have HOV lanes and separate regulations. The state still issues special plates for hybrids for I66; those lanes have been backed-up for years.
The latest grand idea to solve N VA congestion is to convert the HOV lanes into HOT lanes. The T stands for Toll. The majority of residents of VA do not want to spend billions to solve N VA traffic problems. Private companies would fund the expansion (3 lanes) and extension to Frederickburg. VA and charge tolls. Vehicles with at least 3 people and motorcycles would not pay the toll. The companies would keep the money. They would change the toll to regulate the volume of cars on the lanes. If the lanes start backing-up, then the toll would be raised to discourge usage. The estimate for the minimum toll from Frederickburg to the Pentagon, about 43 miles, is $20.00 one way. There would be no maximum toll--whatever the traffic will bear.

[Sailfish11]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TeePee06 @ May 13 2007, 02:57 AM) [snapback]440956[/snapback]</div>

Is California the ONLY state that allows EV owners to drive in the diamond lane???
[/b]

NYC allows the Prius in the diamond lane.