In a move that surprised exactly no one, Tim Kaine & the Virginia Legislature have extended the HOV exemption for Hybrids on I-66 and the DTR until the middle of next year. The Hybrid Exemption is a bit oddly composed in Virginia: if you’ve owned your hybrid since before June 1st of 2006, you can use your hybrid without meeting the HOV criteria on 395 and 95, as well as I-66 and the DTR. But, if you bought your hybrid after June 1st of 2006, you can only use the HOV lanes on 66 and the DTR, not on 395 or 95.
The question becomes, are we extending the privilege to get more people interested in Hybrid cars? Are we rewarding existing Hybrid owners too greatly for their purchase? Is this actually a commute-faster-if-you’re-wealthy thing?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
