No more solo Diamond Lane in CA [Admin Warning: NO POLITICS]

[onthebrake]

I get your (and other's) points that the interstates are federal, and these things can be tied to federal funding. I'll leave that one alone as I don't want to take this to a political topic. I'd just say that's unfortunate and leave it there.

As to the other point, that one is much more interesting and has a simple and practical aspect. On the one hand, the point of HOV lanes is to reduce emissions, and you're not going to reduce them any more than you can by driving an EV short of simply not traveling at all. On the other hand, if there are so many EVs on the road that the permit starts to become meaningless and the HOV lanes are just as congested as the non-HOV lanes, then for sure the value of the permit will have tanked.

Is that the case? Are HOV lanes in CA just as congested as the non-HOV lanes? I wouldn't know as it's been a while since I've driven down there.

Yes, the hov lanes are clogged these days. Mostly by single occupant ice vehicles. Nobody respects the rules anymore and people cross the lines all the time. It’s out of control.

Sponsored

 

[BTOR]

Obviously its a federal thing, but got a call yesterday from Peach Pass (who handles the tolling in GA) and they informed me of the same thing. Not that anyone in Atlanta follows the HOV rules anyway lol but just annoyed to see all these EV perks being thrown away while floating ways to further penalize EV ownership/make it more difficult (state AND federal taxes, less funding for chargers, EV fees registration, other junk). Meanwhile gas tax remains unchanged and the incentives for the oil industry remain in place. I'm all for fairness, but this is not it. I am getting quite annoyed by what feels like the powers that be punishing people for choosing a different way to run their vehicles. Its incredible what gets politized in this country.

Well said!

 

[onthebrake]

I just received this notice from CA DMV.

They just gave us 60 more days. New end date is 12/01/2025

 

[KRIV_ian]

As someone else mentioned the current CA clean air vehicle decal system was always going to end on September 30th 2025, Clean Air Vehicle Decal | California Air Resources Board

It was hoped that an extension to the program would happen but as newsweek and other outlets mention, "The current federal administration failed to extend Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code, under which California—and any other state in the union—were allowed to introduce programs such as the CAV decal one. Without this extension, California could not continue with the program, even though last year it tried to sign a state law—AB 2678—that would allow it to do so."
Looks to me like AB2678 passed AB 2678: Vehicles: high-occupancy vehicle lanes. | Digital Democracy but was/is reliant on the federal code.

I've used these decals for several years and will miss the carpool access but what will be a much bigger loss will be the free travel on the 91 express lanes. With tolls sometimes reaching over $30 I've saved a lot of money over the years.

 

[onthebrake]

As someone else mentioned the current CA clean air vehicle decal system was always going to end on September 30th 2025, Clean Air Vehicle Decal | California Air Resources Board

It was hoped that an extension to the program would happen but as newsweek and other outlets mention, "The current federal administration failed to extend Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code, under which California—and any other state in the union—were allowed to introduce programs such as the CAV decal one. Without this extension, California could not continue with the program, even though last year it tried to sign a state law—AB 2678—that would allow it to do so."
Looks to me like AB2678 passed AB 2678: Vehicles: high-occupancy vehicle lanes. | Digital Democracy but was/is reliant on the federal code.

I've used these decals for several years and will miss the carpool access but what will be a much bigger loss will be the free travel on the 91 express lanes. With tolls sometimes reaching over $30 I've saved a lot of money over the years.

They just announced it will be extended till 12/01.

 

[waitingonanr1s]

Yes, the hov lanes are clogged these days. Mostly by single occupant ice vehicles. Nobody respects the rules anymore and people cross the lines all the time. It’s out of control.

They have camera systems that ticket for crossing the lines on most toll lanes in CO now. It's been a huge money maker for the state. It has changed behavior too - you rarely see it here now.

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

There is no extension: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-...ent-ends-clean-air-vehicle-cav-decal-program/

 

[SANZC02]

Can you explain this? Are you saying there’s reduced HOV fees just for being an EV? How do I sign up for this?

On some roads, 91 Express Lanes are one, sign up with them they create an EV account for the EV cars and you get special pricing. It is free most of tge time and 50% off going east I think between 2pm and 6 pm, check those times may be a shorter window.

Edit: If you have the car on a Toll Road plan, once the 91 Expressway account is opened take it off the toll road plan or you will get double charged. You can ride the other toll roads with the 91 Expressway account, they cross bill on the different roads.

 

[Joules Burn]

AB 2678 was passed by the State Legislature in 2024. The purpose was to extend the decal program until January 2027. This extension could only go into effect with the approval of the federal government, so it will officially end at the end of September.

https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/ca/2023-2024/bills/CAB00031875/

 

[CANCERDOC]

Is there a link showing it has been extended to 12/1?

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

Is there a link showing it has been extended to 12/1?

It was NOT extended.

 

[mkg3]

CA is the WORST about keeping right except to pass. Combine that with the 55 mph speed limit for trucks state wide and you can see why driving in CA sucks even in moderate traffic. They really need to get rid that 55 mph state-wide truck limit - it makes the roads much more dangerous IMO.

Having lived in other states and used to travel extensively for business, I do hate the fact that CA drivers are allowed to drive on any lane at any time as long as they do not violate minimum speed limit (-10mph than posted).

There are no law to let faster vehicle go by or move over to the right side lane, if a faster vehicle is approaching behind you. Often we experience all lanes being blocked, effectively, by drivers driving side-by-sdie across 3 or 4 lanes at the same speed.

Trucks completely ignore the speed limit on the freeways, as well as the lane restrictions on multi-axle vehicles (not allowed on number 1 or 2 lanes on multilane freeway) and CHP really do not enforce speeding so it appears....

 

[mpshizzle]

The program in Utah is ending Sep 30th as well

NGL - the Utah program is REALLY, REALLY good, but agruable unfair to new EV drivers. It was just a $10 one time fee to register for life (as long as you own the vehicle) for unlimited HOV access. You got an electronic tag for your windshield and in the later iterations of the program they didn't even require an ugly sticker on the outside of your car.

Downside was that it was limited enrollment and there were FAR fewer spots available than EV drivers who wanted to take advantage of the program. So if you didn't get in you had to wait for someone else to sell their EV and not transfer to a new qualifying EV (which rarely happened). Fortunately I got in back in 2021 before the spots were full

 

[azbill]

Is that the case? Are HOV lanes in CA just as congested as the non-HOV lanes? I wouldn't know as it's been a while since I've driven down there.

They have certainly gotten that way in Arizona. Slightly less congested, but not that great.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Disappointing. Iirc, when I got my Rivian a few years ago I looked if there was any travel benefits in my area. The only thing I could find was "free HOV" on a few roads down around the state capitol, several hundred miles from me. And I would have had to buy "clean special fuel" license plates, that cost more than normal plates.

That said, I hate this. We should be doing more to encourage people to transition off dino juice, not less. But that's a wish and a dream in this current political environment.

Sponsored