Georgia considering HOV lane use for Hybrids

I live in GA, too and would love to ride my Prius in the HOV lane. And it's a great ride and comforatable, too.

I read that VA does this already.

People would see us go by and think "I should start thinking about fuel economy and cleaner air.

Mostly I am interested in cleaner air, which Atlanta needs badly.

Gas Mileage needs to be on people's minds when they buy cars.

To HOV or not to HOV for hybrids. Will congress ever decide??

According to a person in the EPD that I spoke with last year it is up to GDOT as to who has access to the HOV lanes. I'm not sure who we need to contact, though. Any suggestions?

Just in case anyone is wondering what the Georgia DOT website states on the subject at hand, here is an excerpt from the Georgia DOT website (as recorded 05/03/2005):

Hybrid cars DO NOT classify as clean fuel vehicles under EPA standards because their engines use conventional gasoline as well as electricity and in so doing generate fuel vapor emissions. Therefore they are not allowed to access the HOV lanes unless there is more than one occupant in the vehicle.

The U.S. Senat just passed the long awaited Transportation Bill. (HR-3). This bill will allow the States drivers to ride in the HOV lane with an Hybrid car solo. The Ga General Assembly passed a bill earlier requesting Congress to pass this bill. All we need now is the Pres. signiture.

Is there any way we can track this bill in the conference committee? Is there a webb site to look at? What is the process and how long does it take?

Can we or can we not??

I like what one person said about driving in an HOV lane in Georgia. If you bought a high mpg car why do you want to drive 80 mph?

Then there is the issue of the range of hybrids coming to market. Some of them simply have an electric motor in them for the 'Gee Whiz' factor and the massive starting torque and the mileage is nothing to write home about. You could say hybrids even more muscular than the Accord.

I think HOV lanes should be left alone.

Definitely promising that this bill is moving forward. However, I'm not confident that I'll be able to go solo in the HOV lane anytime soon, since I live in California and it'll probably take the DMV and Air Resources Board a long time to develop their standards for determining which vehicles qualify for the exemption. Sigh...

The problem with Ga is nobody wants to take responsability and do the right thing. I have talked to the dept. of Natural Resources: James Udi and William Cook. Tel 404-363-7031 and 404-3363-7028. I keep getting nothing from these people. I tried to contact Doug Hooper from the tag office. He never returned my call. 404-362-2650. It seems that they are not going to do anything until lawyers get involved and that is ashame. Contact you local representitive or even better the Govenor. The current law, passed by the GA. General Assembly is in the GA code. 32.9.4 and 40.2.76. HR-14-passed and signed by the govenor on 2/09/05. California has started to issue the stickers at $8.00 a pop and we are still sitting on our hands looking like fools.

Correction, George Hooper's number is 404-362-6440.

Well, now this is absolute bureaucratic CRAP... I got a call from the governor’s office on this issue.

As it turns out Georgia's Government does know the federal bill has passed, but they don’t really care.

Here we go...

No one is qualified/smart enough to read and interpret the federal bill in the GA DOT so they have handed it off to the Georgia Environmental Department to handle. They in turn have 6 months, which I was told is quick in "Government Standards" to decide a yes or no on Hybrids in the HOV.

I’ve got to say this is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard of. I guess this explains why Georgia is 2nd to last in education; no one wants to take responsibility in anything.

If anyone wants to call the Governors office on this issue, here's the Phone Number 404 656 1776.
Maybe if enough people call the Governor will step in....

Doubt it but worth a try...

I just talked with Mr Cook who is in charge of The Dept. of Natural Resources in Atlanta. He said that he must draft a document which will provide the names of the different make cars which fall under the Federal regulation of the Transportation Bill which was passed and signed by the Pres. Then he must send a copy of this document to the E.P.A. for approval. After he gets approval he will issue a copy to the Tag office / DMV / Ga. Dept of Revenue and D.N.R. He said this should take 4 to 5 weeks, end of Sept. or beginning of Oct. Our tax money at work. You can call him and maybe he will respond quicker considering the fact that California has allready started to distribute there AFV stickers. Please call William Cook at 404-363-7028.

HAHA Yeah Ive heard.... Gotta Love Georgia

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me
regarding the allowance of hybrid vehicles in HOV lanes.

It is important that your elected officials know of your concerns, and I am always pleased to receive comments from Georgia's citizens. As this is a matter more appropriately addressed at the federal level, I also encourage you to make your
views known to your Members of Congress. For your convenience, I am including a list of the names and contact information for all members of the Georgia Congressional delegation.

I appreciate the opportunity to learn what is on your mind and hope this information will assist you as you pursue this matter further with the federal government.

Yours truly,

Sonny Perdue

SP:jr

I spoke to GA-EPD today January 25, 2006; they said they will be meeting with US-EPA this week to discuss the list of qualifying hybrid vehicles that will be eligible for single occupant use of HOV lanes. They said that GA-DMV will probably be ready to issue AFV tags to the qualifying vehicles sometime in March 2006. GA Dept of Revenue and GA-DMV are reluctant to issue tags for hybrids again until the offical EPA listing is published. The state does not want to be in the position of revoking AFV tags again as they had to do in recent years. I had an AFV tag on my 2001 Prius from December 2001 until it was revoked in Spring of 2005. I now have a new Honda Civic Hybrid, a perfect little HOV cruiser. For now I'll have to get a regular tag and switch once the grinding wheels of coordinated federal and state bureaucracy have completed the new program here in Georgia.

you cuz r so smug, u think ur better because u drive a hybid car. You all need to get a life and realize that your not better than anyone else. Get your head out of ur ass'. Although I agree hybrid cars r better they would not be given benefits over other cars.

I just spoke with James Udi and he said the list from the EPA has not been handed out. Any idea when the EPA should be sending that?

Chanes are you Highlander will not qualify on the list for vehicles allowed in the HOV lane. The original vehicle list only had cars that were around 50+ highway miles per gallon.

The HOV lanes will be crowded when all cars
are hybrids........lol

As noted above, this web site link has a good summary of where things stand officially: http://www.dot.state.ga.us/specialsubjects/hov/hov-afv.shtml

The Georgia Code sections are Section 32-9-4 (allowing use of Georgia’s HOV lanes by certain hybrids if such use of HOV lanes is permitted by Federal law), and Section 40-2-76 (specifying the issuance of license plates for hybrid vehicles for such use).

DNR has taken the position that they must wait for the U.S. E.P.A. to conduct a rule making and issue a list of vehicle. However, this position is belied by the fact that other states have already proceeded to enable HOV access. Florida is one example – right next door. A year ago already Florida issued its list of approved vehicles and implemented their program (using vehicle stickers). You can view it at http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/html/titlinf.html I brought this to the attention of William Cook, who is in charge of this issue at Georgia DNR’s EPD (404- 363-7028), almost a year ago. Yet as I understand it they have followed Florida’s example and moved this thing forward.

Why Florida has moved forward smoothly on this issue, while Georgia’s state agencies are frozen on this and flouting Georgia law?

Call Mr. Cook and complain. Also contact Judy Reynolds at the Governor's office (who handles DNR matters) and complain -- 404-656-1776.

Here is today's e-mail from EPA:

"...this is to respond to your recent email to EPA regarding the
use of hybrids on HOV lanes. The 2005 Transportation Act directed EPA
to put in place regulations that HOV areas could use to provide HOV
occupancy exemptions for energy efficient vehicles, including hybrids.
EPA must undertake a full rulemaking process for this action. This
means we must first issue a proposal, take comment on the proposal, and
then issue a final rule. A draft of the proposed rule is currently
undergoing Agency review and we hope to issue the proposal soon. EPA
will then need to finalize the regulations, which will take several
months after that to complete, so it's likely that it will be early next
year before the final regulation is issued.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any further
questions, please let me know.

Regards,

Holly Pugliese
US EPA
734-214-4288

Its true.. The problem with Ga is nobody wants to take responsability and do the right thing. I have talked to the dept. of Natural Resources: James Udi and William Cook. Tel 404-363-7031 and 404-3363-7028. I keep getting nothing from these people. I tried to contact Doug Hooper from the tag office. He never returned my call. 404-362-2650. It seems that they are not going to do anything until lawyers get involved and that is ashame. Contact you local representitive or even better the Govenor. The current law, passed by the GA. General Assembly is in the GA code. 32.9.4 and 40.2.76. HR-14-passed and signed by the govenor on 2/09/05. California has started to issue the stickers at $8.00 a pop and we are still sitting on our hands looking like fools. But thats just my opinion.