NGV Carpools After 2011?

[cptreyes]

Second post today, but as I'm considering adding another vehicle to my NGV collection, I'm wondering if anyone knows whether California carpool access for NGVs will actually expire in 2011?

[freedml]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

The bill to extend the date is working its way through the legislature. It's on its 3rd reading in the Senate.

[Curtis]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

There are actually 2 variations of the bill still in the works, all with different sunset options. It's just a matter of which one makes it to the next hurdle. What is basically guaranteed is that one bill will survive, thereby extending at least the NGV's (all but next generation hybrids are out of consideration) will be in the HOV lane untill 2014 (minimum) and possibly much longer.

AB 1500 | Author: Lieu
In brief: Extends HOV lane access for single-occupant AFVs ("white stickers") five years beyond the current sunset, to Jan. 1, 2014.
Details: Sponsored by the Coalition. The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee insisted on an amendment to sunset the bill in 2014 instead of 2016.
Status: Passed Senate Appropria

SB 535 | Author: Yee
In brief: Extends HOV lane access for single-occupant AFVs ("white stickers") as long as authorized by federal law, eliminating the current 2011 sunset. Amended to also extend access to plug-in hybrids and similar hybrids, such as the Volt, but with a cap of 65,000 vehicles. The hybrid provision sunsets in 2015.
Status: Passed Assembly Appropriations Committee; to Assembly Floor.

Thanks to CalNGV, you can follow these and other bits of natural gas legislation here: http://www.cngchat.com/forum/showthr...ht=legislation

[gassipper]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

I am new here but have been doing extensive research on this issue as I have a hybrid (yellow) sticker and want to coninue access myself past 1-1-11. Therefore I am considering a CNG purchase.

Unortunately, I have been in close contact with Representative Lieu's assistant on AB1500 and this is what she reported to me as of today...at this point one of the legislative committee's has asked the AB1500 sponsor to shelve that bill until at least January, 2010. The reason is so that there can be meetings to reconcile it with Bill #535, which is similar. In addition, she indicated they want to take a much closer look at the whole issue of single-occupant access in general and whether to continue that access (for white stickers), given the push toward HOT (toll lanes) in SoCal and elsewhere. They have conflicting goals (free access versus money-making access) that need to be re-assessed. And even if one of them passes, Schwarzenegger has a 50/50 chance of vetoing it due to his big-business interests pressuring him to do so (i.e. regular gas companies & automakers). They have received no positive indication from the Governor's office that he will sign either bill if it passes. In my opinion I get the feeling all stickers will be out of the HOV lanes at the end of 2010 and the party is over.

[Green GX]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

I am new here but have been doing extensive research on this issue as I have a hybrid (yellow) sticker and want to coninue access myself past 1-1-11. Therefore I am considering a CNG purchase.

Unortunately, I have been in close contact with Representative Lieu's assistant on AB1500 and this is what she reported to me as of today...at this point one of the legislative committee's has asked the AB1500 sponsor to shelve that bill until at least January, 2010. The reason is so that there can be meetings to reconcile it with Bill #535, which is similar. In addition, she indicated they want to take a much closer look at the whole issue of single-occupant access in general and whether to continue that access (for white stickers), given the push toward HOT (toll lanes) in SoCal and elsewhere. They have conflicting goals (free access versus money-making access) that need to be re-assessed. And even if one of them passes, Schwarzenegger has a 50/50 chance of vetoing it due to his big-business interests pressuring him to do so (i.e. regular gas companies & automakers). They have received no positive indication from the Governor's office that he will sign either bill if it passes. In my opinion I get the feeling all stickers will be out of the HOV lanes at the end of 2010 and the party is over.

Under the current financial state of California and the propensity of our legislators to raise/create taxes, I'll bet they go for HOT lanes.

Bill

[freedml]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

It's not either/or. They can easily do both, just as there are various rules for AFVs getting free bridge tolls.

[johnny 99]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

I assume that it has occurred to someone at Caltrans that if they open up the car pool lanes to everyone willing to pay for them (i.e. HOT lanes) in addition to car poolers and alternative fuel vehicles, that equilibrium will occur and the car pool lanes won't move any faster than the "regular" lanes. I see a ton of Mercedes, Lexus, Porsche, BMW, and Audi solo drivers sitting in traffic every morning, not to mention contractors in pick-up trucks. They will all have their employer pick up the tab to access the lanes in morning.

I can't be the only one who thinks that will occur.

[cquirk]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

So in Northern California the HOV does move faster that the other lanes, I have been stuck a bunch of times in HOV lanes in southern califiornia watching cars in the other lanes go flying by.

[sjseng]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

In the SF Bay Area, they will be opening up multiple HOT toll lanes in the next few years. Work has already started on I680.

One of the original benifits of the Yellow HOV sticker was to increase the sale of Hybrid vehicles. It is my opinion that the government should continue to include the White HOV sticker for HOV lanes use in the next round. This could potentially be benifitial for car manufactureres of CNG or Hydrogen cars. Win Win for all, right?

[fquinonez]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

Folks, I would recommend that we all start contacting our State Senetors and Assembly Members to get the above named bills off of the shelf. Things in Sacramento move slow, and we have less than 11 months to go. I have contacted the two gentlemen that represent my district as well as the office of the Governor. I think the more they hear, the more response we will get.

Frank Q.

Sir, I respectfully request that you support SB 535 (Yee)/ AB1500 (Leiu) that will allow for single occupant carpool use for alternative fuel and plug in electric vehicles. This will provide a further incentive to offset the higher cost of vehicles that do not use gasoline and use domestically produced natural gas instead of foreign oil.

[gringostar]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

If we can prohibit the yellow stickers from entering the HOV lane, it should be smoothe sailing.

[Curtis]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

They're gone in 2011 regardless of what ever else happens. We just need to assure that we don't join them. It seems the states budget woes have taken precidence over many other issues deemed less important... ours being one of them.

[ajgiorgi]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

In the SF Bay Area, they will be opening up multiple HOT toll lanes in the next few years. Work has already started on I680.

One of the original benifits of the Yellow HOV sticker was to increase the sale of Hybrid vehicles. It is my opinion that the government should continue to include the White HOV sticker for HOV lanes use in the next round. This could potentially be benifitial for car manufactureres of CNG or Hydrogen cars. Win Win for all, right?

Yeah, I think people will buy CNG cars instead of Hybrids. That's a good thing. Lets get off the imported Oil and start using our own Natural Gas. Go USA!

[lcovelli]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

They're gone in 2011 regardless of what ever else happens. We just need to assure that we don't join them. It seems the states budget woes have taken precidence over many other issues deemed less important... ours being one of them.

Curtis,
How can we use this site to push the legislation to pass SB 535 or AB1500??

[freedml]

Re: NGV Carpools After 2011?

Let's not forget that it was those 'yellow sticker' folks who had the mojo to get federal law changed so they could ride in the carpool lanes with us. I'm guessing they also have the state votes to get HOV access renewed for all of us. I think there are 10x as many of them as us.