Quote:Yellow light for hybrids
By Lisa Mascaro, Staff Writer


As of Wednesday, the DMV had issued 42,657 stickers to California drivers.

That number seems to be off to me. I just received my stickers this week(Jan. 17) and it was 43,5xx. To my calculations it would seem that the last day they would be issuing HOV Stickers would be February 28th (Tuesday).

 

In an effort to keep my mpgs high and yet not **** off everyone behind me I tend to drive about 65-70 in the carpool lane. Has anyone else experienced drivers tailgating them?

I've decided to avoid the carpool lane as much as possible until it is completely necessary. (I know the areas in Socal that always get congested on my daily commute).

As for the decision to review congested carpool lanes and the possibility of removing hybrids from those segments... I have come to realize that the 210 freeway (from Pasadena, CA out to the Inland Empire) is always bumper to bumper. It is the only carpool I have witnessed that is beyond capacity. After driving it a few times, I have watched solo drivers without a hybrid car crossing the double yellow lines and entering and exiting the carpool lane when it is convenient for them.

I think there should be days where the CHP is patrolling the full capacity HOV lanes and ticketing within the next few months before they eliminate hybrid access.

Personally, I do not think that CHP is doing their job in Southern California. That being said, nothing will prevent California drivers from doing 80-90 on the freeways. Enough kavetching..

 

I drove south on I-880 in the East Bay this afternoon, and traffic in the carpool lane actually stopped a few times.

I-80 is also pretty awful, even though it's HOV-3.

Right on.

Today was the first time in a long time that I saw a CHP officer on a bike patrolling the carpool lane on I-80. He finished giving one ticket, passed us, and immediately stopped another one. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

I don't think I have ever anticipated an $8 purchase as much as this.

January 3rd mailed the app via regular post. January 19th the check was posted at the bank. Therefore, according to this pattern and others that have posted, I will receive the stickers between Jan. 26th and Feb. 3rd. Time between check cashing and receipt of stickers seems to be between 1-2 weeks.

Typical timeline:

2-3 weeks to process application indicated by cashing of check
1-2 weeks to generate and mailout stickers

Total time range of 3-5 weeks generally speaking from receipt of app.

The previous story about DMV promoting 2-3 months is about expectation management so that they are not bothered with phone calls about where are my stickers. It is what I would do

Jesse

 

Yeah, that's what an organization does when it has an attitude of utter contempt for its customers. Typical of government bureaucracies.

I bet if they assigned just a couple more people to that department they could turn around the requests in two days. Then they wouldn't get any phone calls.

 

Probably, but by the time the new reqs were placed into next year's budget, job descriptions written out, following all open employment policies and procedures, etc., it would be somewhere around 2008 when the positions would be filled. HOV access will be yanked then anyway!

 

I drive that same route and the HOV lane between 57 and Pasadena on 210 is almost always backed up. The only reason I want HOV access is so that it provides an alternative in case that lane is moving ok. I am often tempted to try I-10 to 605 N then 210 just to get past the trouble area.

 

Yes, I also drive 65 in the carpool lane for the same reason. I only use the carpool lane when the traffic in the other lanes gets bottlenecked, which is in about 5 places on my commute. I get better mileage going 65 in the carpool lane than I would doing the 0 -> 40 -> 0 -> 40 (over and over) that I would in the slower lanes, but it's still not as good as I could do if traffic was lighter. Oh, well.

 

At the time of the day that I drive, I rarely need the carpool lane. Instead, I've designated the #2 lane as my personal speed-limit lane. Making sure the fast lane is to my left, and of course, at least one lane is on my right.

Invariably, though, people will get right up on my butt and seem annoyed that I'm only going 65mph. Once I get my carpool stickers, I may experiment with different times of the day for my commute. Right now, I'm on the 57 N from the I-5 at right around 6:00am, and coming back south right around 3:15pm. The #2 lane is pretty optimum both times unless there's an accident.

Don

 

I got my stickers today.

I can't believe it. It's less than three weeks since I mailed the application.

Sticker number 45323. They're moving right along.