HOV lanes; extends sunset provision for vehicles bearing clean special fuel vehicle license plates. (HB2132)

Michael Goffus writes:

Please extend HOV exemptions for those with existing clean fuel plates. I work in Springfield and have no option to pick up rides or "slugs"

Richard Berry writes:

Exempting hybrids from HOV restrictions does not lower pollution and only makes matters worse.

I'll use I-395 as an example since that is what I have used for over 12+ years.

Allowing one vehicle with 3 occupants to be replaced by three single occupant hybrids:

Causes three times the congestion. You now have three vehicles in place of one. HOV lanes were designed NOT to lower pollution but to reduce congestion.

The three hybrids combined produce more pollution than the single vehicle. So much for clean fuels. And speaking of clean fuels, gasoline is not a clean fuel...

As for saving fuel, the hybrids waste more. Simple example. 50 miles round trip. We'll spot the hybrids a charitable 50mpg (never mind that most of the newer SUV and luxury hybrids get much worse...) and use 30mpg for the 3 occupant car. The hybrids each use 1 gallon for a total of 3 gallons. The car uses 1.67 gallons, 1.33 gallons less than the 3 hybrids. Look at it another way, gasoline used per occupant. The hybrids use one gallon per occupant. But, the car has 3 passengers so divide 1.67 by 3 and you get .55 gallons per occupant. The hybrid occupant uses 1.8 times more fuel than an occupant of the car. And if you start looking at ULSD and other forms of diesel used in modern diesel vehicles, the comparison shows the hybrids to be an even worse choice.

All that and they get a tax credit at the taxpayers' expense. Where can hybrids make a difference only when they replace a single occupant vehicle in the REGULAR lanes.

Another joke about the clean fuels HOV exemptions is allowing dual use (E85/CNG/etc and gasoline) vehicles into the HOV lanes. Look at E85. The only E85 pump in the area at the Pentagon sells E-85 for 60 to 70 cents more a gallon that regular unleaded and a gallon has 80% of the energy of a gallon of gas, so mileage drops. Hmmm... more expensive and you get less miles to the tank of expensive fuel. Not hard to figure out that the E85 vehicles are not running on E85...

As for Mr Goffus's comments that he needs his "clean air" plates to use the HOV lanes to get to work - use public transportation or get out of bed earlier to use the HOV lanes when they are not restricted.

Please encourage the governor to veto the bill.

Kevin W writes:

I hope Richard Berry whines about the tax credit on Hummers the way he does for the tax credit on Hyrids.