Car Pool Lane stickers in CA

Buy a used Prius that has the stickers. New stickers are no longer available but remain with the car when ownership is transfered if requested.

I know this isn't what you wanted to hear.

 

Anyone hear of an extension to this being voted on? I could of sworn I read this was being presented at the end of March but see no details or news of this being voted on or forthcoming?

Any news of this being extended beyond Jan 1 2011? Seriously effects my decision on my next car as this would be great for my forthcoming commute in the Bay area

 

There are 2 bills in the legislature- one extends the Prius sticker date (AB1500) , the other does not (extends only the white- electric - sticker) (AB 1502).

Ted Lieu (El Sugundo) AB 1500 in transportation committee
and AB 1502 (not good for us)- in transportation committee.

 

And neither makes new stickers available.

 

I doubt they will allow more stickers. There are even proposal to go backwards, and make carpool lanes toll lanes (They call it "congestion pricing" in order to avoid the "toll road" stigma, but we are not that gullible.)

 

Actually, I think that's in the works for several Bay Area freeways. Unfortunately for me, if the stickers expire in 2011 as currently planned, there will be a gap of several years before I can pay to be in a high-speed lane. I actually wouldn't mind paying, but I don't think I'll get the opportunity on 101 before I retire. So I'm really hoping for an extension of the stickers.

OTOH: 101 is probably one of the roads that might force the privilege to be revoked anyway, as the lane is "full" already. I might have to break down and actually carpool!

Actually, if they would nail a few cheaters, they probably could clear the lane pretty well. I see cheaters in the lane almost every day.

 

SF Bay area seems to allow jumping in and out of the lanes at will; SoCal requiress you to use specified segments only. This makes them safer... at least it WOULD if people obeyed the law!

They are set to expire statewide at the end of 2010. I assume that is the end of the road. By then people will be buying hybrids even without stickers.

 

http://www.cngvc.org/pdf/newsletters/CalNGV_News_030909.pdf

 

The most important part of that link:
"Federal authority, in fact, is the main challenge facing all these bills. The federal law allowing ILEVs and low-emission or energy-efficient vehicles to use HOV lanes expires Sept. 30. A new federal transportation bill is due this year, but there’s no word yet on whether Congress intends to extend the access provision."

So the local laws are moot unless we get an extension at the Fed level.

WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS!!

 

Yes, I saw that but my guess is they will not extend it.

I already have 122K on my Prius and I would have to run it into the ground to get it to last until 2015 but I just don't see AB 1500 passing with AB 1502 as an alternative? What possible incentive could there be to extend our yellow stickers?

 

looks like AB1502 is done:
Bill Status:
04/28/09: In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

AB1500 looks like it is moving forward...
Assembly Transportation - 04/27/09
Motion: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Ayes: 8, Noes: 5, Abstentions: 0

Fingers crossed

 

I re-read the bill, it seems the 1500 is now modified just for Electric and Natural Gas Vehicles only, not for Hybrids. That's probably why 1502 is canceled, because they are two of the same thing.

--------Quote from Bill 1500------------
This bill would extend, for an additional five years, the authorization for natural gas and electric vehicles to operate in HOV lanes but would allow that authorization for hybrids to sunset as scheduled on January 1, 2011.
----------------------------------------

am I reading it wrong?
AB1500 AB 1500 | TotalCapitol
AB1502 AB 1502 | TotalCapitol

 

alas, I fear you are reading it correctly...but the Feds might make the whole argument moot even sooner...

 

Yeah, I read the bill this morning, and it looks to me like it is saying hybrids are not allowed access (or DMV cannot issue stickers) until the Federal governments rules if AT-PZEV hybrids (e.g. Prius) are allowed in HOV lanes.

To me, that means that if this bill passes as written, we would be kicked out of HOV lanes until the Federal government makes its own ruling.

Any insight into when or how the Federal government makes this ruling?

Mike

 

Looks like this thread is pretty dead, but it popped in my head again...perhaps the Federal government has *already* ruled that CA can use HOV lanes for Prii, and this is only a restatement of the original bill's conditions. Is that true?

In other words, the verbiage around Federal government ruling doesn't add any material difference to the law as it stands today, and merely reinforces that Feds can mandate the privilege away?


Mike

 

As far as I know, our yellow stickers expire in January of 2011; until then we can use the HOV lanes.

 

There was an NPRM in 2007. No action since, afaict. Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0173.

As I read it, Sept 30, 2009 remains as the expiration date for federal approval.

 

Which, in turn, means that California would not allow hybrids in HOV lanes unless federal approval is extended, doesn't it?

Mike

 

You know, I started to go through things again, and now I'm not so sure.. but I've got to run out at the moment. Will try to return later this evening to sort it all out.