In the Feb. 3 column, I asked for your counts and opinions of hybrid vehicles in the HOV-3 lanes. The Virginia Department of Transportation is concerned that a growing number of hybrid vehicles (gasoline plus electric) are a significant cause of congestion in the HOV-3 lanes. VDOT's surveys indicate that 18 percent of all traffic now in the express lanes is hybrid traffic.
I'm concerned that VDOT will ban hybrids carrying fewer than three occupants while not effectively addressing what I suspect is a greater problem: that of cheaters in conventional vehicles.
That is why I asked for your observations, and I received some interesting answers.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Hybrid vehicles in HOV lanes are not the problem; violators are the problem.
I "slug" in both directions frequently in the Interstate 95/395 HOV lanes between Dumfries and the Pentagon.
In the morning, from 6 to 6:40 a.m., each group of 10 cars is made up of about six violators, three HOV cars and one hybrid car going north toward the Pentagon.
Going home, from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m., each group of 10 cars usually includes two violators, seven HOV cars and one hybrid car.
This morning there were about nine violators for every HOV car, maybe because an off-ramp to the Wilson Bridge was closed. I saw no hybrids.
There is little law enforcement of the HOV restrictions during the hours I travel the lanes, particularly in the morning.
If the police would simply try enforcement, even on a periodic basis, there would be a great drop in the number of violations.
John Dudley
Dumfries
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
This morning I did a count of violators vs. clean-fuel (CF) or hybrid cars in the HOV lanes, and there was a 5 to 1 ratio of violators to CF cars.
In the past four years, I have seen the Virginia State Police out at the start of restrictions only once.
In the afternoon, enforcement has picked up. I have noticed more state police ready to enforce the restriction at 3:30 p.m.
