California Extends by 4 Years Period That Green-Car Drivers Can Use Carpool Lanes
By Scott Doggett July 7, 2010
With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature, California lawmakers today passed legislation extending by four years the right of drivers of certain low-emissions vehicles to use the state's 1,300 miles of carpool lanes.
That right, which would have disappeared on Jan. 1, 2011, has now been extended to Jan. 1, 2015. It allows drivers of super-ultra-low-emissions vehicles, ultra-low-emissions vehicles and inherently low-emissions vehicles (electric vehicles, for instance) to use the carpool lanes regardless of whether or not there's more than one person in the vehicle.
Although the law applies to California only, it is important nationally because it gives automakers a solid marketing tool for electric vehicles and natural-gas cars in the potentially huge California market, and because other states will likely follow suit. Indeed, at least five other states currently make carpool lanes available to green cars.A carpool lane is part of a traffic management strategy designed to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles during peak periods of traffic congestion. These lanes are intended to provide an incentive for commuters to form carpools by offering reduced travel times.
The declared legislative intent in establishing these lanes is to relieve traffic congestion, conserve fuel, and reduce vehicular emissions. Over the years, advocates for many groups have suggested using carpool lane access to reward certain behaviors or to ease the commute for one class of motorists or another.
Historically, carpool lane access has been proposed for doctors, seniors, veterans, the disabled and others. These proposals were rejected as being inconsistent with the original intent of establishing the lanes, which is to reduce congestion.
LEAVE A COMMENT