RIP EV HOV Lane Use (CA Residents: CHP Giving 60-Day Grace Period for Citations; End 11/30)

[JohnFoxeSheets]

UPDATE: California CHP has said there will be a 60-day grace period during which they will educate owners but not cite them. "During this 60-day window, drivers with a valid clean-air decal will not be cited for driving alone in the carpool lane." This sounds to me like they might pull you over, but not actually cite you. I guess I'll hold off removing my decals until 12/1, but I doubt I'll be doing much HOV lane driving during this time.

OG Post:
With a bit of luck and a bit of planning I managed to use the HOV lane on the Bay Bridge today at 3:01 PM, one minute after HOV pricing kicked in. Starting tomorrow, Clean Air Vehicles will no longer be able to use HOV lanes with fewer occupants than required for other vehicles. I made a video of the final time Joy can use the 3+ person lane without three occupants.

Tomorrow, I get to (try to) scrub the Clean Air Vehicle decals off Joy. Wish me luck...?

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[ChrisO]

I wonder if CHP will actually enforce this.

In my area there tends to be 2 to 3 times more ICE single occupant cars in the HOV lane than ones that have the right to be there and the CHP never pull them over.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I wonder if CHP will actually enforce this.

In my area there tends to be 2 to 3 times more ICE single occupant cars in the HOV lane than ones that have the right to be there and the CHP never pull them over.

Good question - one which I don't intend to test!

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I dunno. You, your wife and Poppy the cat make 3. Who could possibly complain? Besides the calico that is.

 

[Mr. Toejam]

I will be removing stickers from my car and my wife’s bolt tomorrow. It will be a sad day in the driveway.

 

[Rickless]

You guys stuck the HOV stickers directly onto the paint?? A little PPF in between goes a long way for easier (cleaner) removal… hindsight is 20/20.

 

[spicy_taco]

I just removed all of mine. I bought the PPF cutouts for these, and took them off every time I washed the car.

Now, to unlearn the 3 years of habitually entering the HOV lane on my commute to and from work...

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I dunno. You, your wife and Poppy the cat make 3. Who could possibly complain? Besides the calico that is.

And complain she would!

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I just removed all of mine. I bought the PPF cutouts for these, and took them off every time I washed the car.

Now, to unlearn the 3 years of habitually entering the HOV lane on my commute to and from work...

I used PPF too, but never thought to remove the decals before going through the car wash. I actually have a combo of two sets on my car because of losing them in a car wash. (You could get a second set if you lost or damaged one.) So I finally dispensed with the PPF and just stuck um directly on my car. I knew this day would come, so Goo Gone will hopefully get them off cleanly!

 

[IgorKl]

Attention, we have 60 days grace period - I promised myself to ride as much as possible on HOV lanes , especially pay lines for these last 60 days

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

Here in metro Atlanta we have lost the "Free" aspect of the HOV lane as of yesterday 9/30. Now we are going to be treated just like the ICE People.......Dang it!!! It has been SOOOO nice just to pop in the HOV lane and not have to pay.

My wife complains that the app (Peach Pass) won't let you use it while moving (understand the safety aspect); but that means unless you pre-plan, you can't use the HOV lane, even if your registered and it will cost $ regardless.

Why did it get killed in California? I understand ATL being in the south and Trump Country....But Gov. Newsome County?.......

 

[kdonnel]

Why did it get killed in California? I understand ATL being in the south and Trump Country....But Gov. Newsome County?.......

it was a federal program that was originally effective in 2005 for 10 years. It got extended for an additional 10 years in 2014/15 but no extension for a third period.

 

[GrayWolf]

Here in metro Atlanta we have lost the "Free" aspect of the HOV lane as of yesterday 9/30. Now we are going to be treated just like the ICE People.......Dang it!!! It has been SOOOO nice just to pop in the HOV lane and not have to pay.

Oh yes and Peachpass (HOT) only helps for about 50% of the commute from the upper northeast side of the ATL region to the midtown area. And that final 50% is inevitably bumper-to-bumper in most, if not all, lanes, to boot. Good times for us all, right?

But yeah - the Federal exemption ended, so everyone across the US was impacted by this.

 

[IgorKl]

Here in metro Atlanta we have lost the "Free" aspect of the HOV lane as of yesterday 9/30. Now we are going to be treated just like the ICE People.......Dang it!!! It has been SOOOO nice just to pop in the HOV lane and not have to pay.

My wife complains that the app (Peach Pass) won't let you use it while moving (understand the safety aspect); but that means unless you pre-plan, you can't use the HOV lane, even if your registered and it will cost $ regardless.

Why did it get killed in California? I understand ATL being in the south and Trump Country....But Gov. Newsome County?.......

as already noted it was Federal program... California discussed if State can replace federal $$ for any expired EV benefits, unfortunately State unable to do it. IMHO: California slowly converted to anti solar and anti EV state.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

Oh yes and Peachpass (HOT) only helps for about 50% of the commute from the upper northeast side of the ATL region to the midtown area. And that final 50% is inevitably bumper-to-bumper in most, if not all, lanes, to boot. Good times for us all, right?

But yeah - the Federal exemption ended, so everyone across the US was impacted by this.

I stay in the "burbs" for work. Only go downtown if necessary to a sporting event/concert. Unsure how people do it daily....

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