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Hybrids to ride for free

By Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 15, 2008 at 5:46 p.m.
Updated January 15, 2008 at 5:46 p.m.

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Owners of some hybrid vehicles will soon be able to drive solo in car pool lanes, including for free on the I-25 toll lanes, under a policy that's been gathering dust for five years.

The legislature approved the idea in 2003 to encourage less polluting and more energy-efficient cars on the road.

But the Colorado Department of Transportation has been waiting for federal rules that would regulate the practice nationwide before implementing it in Colorado.

The Environmental Protection Agency published proposed rules last year the Colorado program will follow, even though the EPA has yet to formalize them, said Stacey Stegman, CDOT spokeswoman.

"We've been waiting for federal rules to determine what types of hybrids are allowed," Stegman said.

The irony is that after waiting five years, the program may last only little more than a year.

The federal law that authorizes solo hybrid drivers to use car pool lanes expires Sept. 20, 2009. While it could be re-authorized, there's no guarantee of it.

"It's beyond ridiculous, it's been painful to watch," said Roman Mica, a Boulder business owner whose wife drives a Toyota Prius hybrid to her job in Denver. He has been pushing CDOT to implement the program for years. His wife has been paying to use the I-25 toll lanes in the meantime.

"I kind of feel like the state owes us a lot of money because we've been paying to use something we should have gotten for free the last five years," he said. "In that same amount of time, they somehow were able to create a system to charge for the HOV lanes and implement that, but not the hybrid program.

"I'm beyond disgusted with it."

The policy would allow single-occupant hybrid vehicles to use all the state's car-pool lanes, not just the toll lanes on I-25. That includes those on South Santa Fe Drive, U.S. 36 and Colorado 82 in Pitkin County.

CDOT's commission and the tolling authority will vote on the policy later this week and toss the ball to the Department of Revenue, which will have the final say. It could start as early as spring.

Only certain vehicles will qualify. Hybrid vehicles must be rated with at least 50 percent better mileage than their gasoline-powered counterparts to be eligible, among other rules.

CDOT also will limit the program to the first 2,000 vehicle owners. They will receive a circular orange sticker for the front of their cars and a transponder that will allow the state to monitor the flow of traffic.

Stegman said if too many vehicles use the lanes and it bogs down free-flowing traffic, the hybrids would be restricted.

"We looked at commuting patterns and we're concerned about the limited capacity on I-25," she said. "So we limited it to 2,000 vehicles based on the percentage we think we'll see on I-25."

Comments

  • January 15, 2008

    8:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    denver_dude writes:

    Oh boy! Now the HOV lanes can be clogged with slow-driving, self-righteous Prius owners! Isn't California already dropping this program because the hybrids are blocking up the HOV lanes (thus reducing the benefit for the car-poolers, who are doing much more for the environment than solo hybrid drivers)?

    My favorite is this Roman Mica guy, who thinks he is "owed" something for being a pompous hypocrite, and is "disgusted". Typical Boulder elitist. Yeah buddy, we all really owe you for buying a Prius. You obviously are entitled to your own lane for your amazing environmental awareness. You know what your wife could do that would be better for the environment than even driving a hybrid, and would let her use the HOV lane? RIDE THE BUS!

  • January 16, 2008

    11:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    blacksho89 writes:

    I want a hybrid Hummer that gets 15 MPG! That is 50% more than the standard model!
    Frankly, free use of TOLL lanes for (expensive) hybrids is just one more example of welfare for the rich.
    Warning: A Level 5 smug alert is predicted.

  • January 16, 2008

    11:19 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    rwmorrisonjr writes:

    Too funny.

    They've been doing this around D.C. and the HOV lanes are now so clogged with hybrids that there's no benefit to using them. Once again, we're trying to be like all the other states that have implemented this failed policy to benefit the pompous few and try to force the rest of us into a fad technology. I say open the lanes up to all traffic and watch the congestion disappear like they've done in New Jersey. No HOV= less congestion.