2008 Expiration date of CA HOV sticker program

[flipfloprunner]

Is this new, or did I just miss it because I was too happy about my Prius and HOV lane privileges?

From the CA DMV site link, there is a January 1, 2008 expiration date on the Low Emission Auto's use of the HOV lane. It's way at the bottom of the document, like it was just added....

Basically it says that on 1/1/2008, the stickers will be void unless the program is extended.

I think it's new, but please let me know if it's always been there.

Thanks!!
javascript:emoticon('')
smilie

[San_Carlos_Jeff]

It's been there from day one.

[flipfloprunner]

Thanks. That's a bummer, I'm really getting used to crusing along in the HOV lane.

[tmorrowus]

Yep, it's always been there.

[San_Carlos_Jeff]

Originally posted by flipfloprunner@Jan 13 2006, 06:26 PM
Thanks.  That's a bummer, I'm really getting used to crusing along in the HOV lane.

[snapback]189494[/snapback]

You and me both. I've been car-pooling for years, but that came to an end over the summer. As soon as this law was approved I jumped at the chance to get back into the HOV lane. Hopefully it will be extended when 2008 rolls around.

[inventor00]

And there is also a proviso that when they reach 50,000 cars that they can turn off some HOV lanes to us.

From San Jose Mercury News Jan 3, 2006

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...al/13537992.htm

Los Angeles drivers hold the top spot in the state; 11,528 stickers had been mailed out through November, among the more than 42,000 carpool applications sent in as of last week. About 215 new applications arrive in DMV offices in Sacramento each Monday through Friday.

If that rate continues, the 50,000 limit could be reached by March. At that point, state officials will evaluate the impact of allowing hybrids to use the carpool lane during commute hours. Depending on those findings, the state could decide to either issue 25,000 more stickers or limit hybrid use in carpool lanes on certain highways if the lanes are overused.

``When we hit 50,000, Caltrans can tell us to stop issuing, or make specified carpool lanes off-limits to hybrids, at any time,'' said DMV spokesman Steve Haskins, whose agency will soon post a disclaimer on its Web site regarding possible limitations on carpool-lane use.

[Kestrel]

I only just noticed it on DMV site (not that I spent much time there before), but I knew it was written into the program.

But hey...emphasis on "unless the program is extended"! I'm sure there are lots of us with activitist instincts around here, and in two years we will really be taking the privilege for granted, so we will just lobby our legislators as needed to get it extended! (Wow, how naive do I sound?!?)

[inventor00]

I hope no carpool lanes in OC will be turned off- we love them!

[Jaguar88]

Originally posted by flipfloprunner@Jan 13 2006, 07:18 PM
Is this new, or did I just miss it because I was too happy about my Prius and HOV lane privileges? 

From the CA DMV site link, there is a January 1, 2008 expiration date on the Low Emission Auto's use of the HOV lane.  It's way at the bottom of the document, like it was just added....

Basically it says that on 1/1/2008, the stickers will be void unless the program is extended. 

I think it's new, but please let me know if it's always been there.

Thanks!! 
javascript:emoticon('')
smilie

[snapback]189486[/snapback]

I received a notice yesterday that they would expire January 1 2008. urther that the car pool lanes could be restricted if it was determined that hybrid use led to overuse of the car pool lanes.

According to a news item I heard on the radio, carpool lane usage is down about 5% overall even with the addition of hybrids.

[cwerdna]

It's too bad that I didn't know about this until seeing posts yesterday. I guess I didn't read all the stipulations and it certainly wasn't well publicized in the media at all.

If I'd known about this, I might have passed up my #3 color choice (white) and waited for another when my dealer called last week saying he got one in. I was looking at the sticker more from a resale point of view which will be moot if they don't extend it once we reach 2008. I go to/from work so late anyhow that the HOV sticker doesn't help me most of the time.