AB266 (Blumenfield) - extends CA HOV privilege by 5 years

[mwalsh]

Here's one for CA EV drivers to get behind - Assembly Bill 266, authored by Bob Blumenfield, which extends the HOV lane privilege for currently allowed vehicles by another 10 years beyond it's current expiry in 2015:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_0251-0300/ab_266_bill_20130207_introduced.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Email and/or call your Assembly Representative and encourage it's adoption!

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/political/la-me-pc-carpool-lane-car-20130207,0,6230558.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[laalan]

Bob Blumenfield's forward thinking should be applauded. I believe similar legislation was proposed in 2012 and nothing happened.

I really hope the tide is turning and that more of the legislature will get behind these initiatives.

The carpool access, free 91 Toll road access and free parking at LAX ( nice while it lasted ) are slowly changing the way people look electric vehicles. One day there may be a movie 'who killed the gasoline cars' :lol:

 

[mwalsh]

AB266 passed the house! But extending the HOV decal by 5 years, not 10:

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now we need to contact State Senators to urge continued support:

http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[nexusplexus]

Looks like it got amended on 7/10/2013

Extended to January 1, 2019, so only 4 more years.

 

[TomT]

Perhaps they are hedging their bets in case EVs and PHEVs reach critical mass, in which case it would make sense to drop the exemption, just as the did with regular hybrids a couple of years back...

Extended to January 1, 2019, so only 4 more years.

 

[laalan]

Now it only has to pass a vote

 

[TomT]

And be signed by the Governor...

Now it only has to pass a vote

 

[mwalsh]

I meant to find this today and bump it up. Thanks for doing it.

Still time to call your Representatives and urge it's support!

 

[GRA]

I meant to find this today and bump it up. Thanks for doing it.

Still time to call your Representatives and urge it's support!

I think even a 4 year extension is too long. The last thing I want to do is encourage people to keep commuting single-occupant. Whether in EVs or ICEs, this does nothing to decrease congestion. I could go for a two year extension, and then see what the EV adoption rates are before deciding whether to renew this for another year or two. But the sooner the single-occupant HOV exemption for EVs can be ended the better, IMO. They've already been given four years. If these cars can't take off in six, can we really say they're ready for the mass market?

 

[Nubo]

Bob Blumenfield's forward thinking should be applauded. I believe similar legislation was proposed in 2012 and nothing happened.

I really hope the tide is turning and that more of the legislature will get behind these initiatives.

The carpool access, free 91 Toll road access and free parking at LAX ( nice while it lasted ) are slowly changing the way people look electric vehicles. One day there may be a movie 'who killed the gasoline cars' :lol:

I fully hope to live to see a time where you don't see many gasoline cars outside of a classic car show or the occasional enthusiast caravan.

 

[mwalsh]

AB266 passed through the State Senate yesterday. Both types of current HOV decals will get extended out to January 1, 2019. It now goes back to the Assembly for a final procedural vote before if gets sent to the Governor for his signature.

Looking good people!

 

[mwalsh]

Somewhat confused about this today. I just read AB266 as passed, and it's been amended so that it only becomes operative if a similar Senate bill (SB 286) is enacted and takes effect before 1/1/14. The website I use to check these things (openstates.org) says that both bills should be ready for the Governor to sign, despite what I wrote yesterday about AB266 supposedly having to go back to the Assembly for a final procedural vote.

So what's the bottom line...

I've no clue. But I'm half expecting the next action we hear of is the Governor signing both bills.

Government is a strange animal!

 

[TomT]

I just hope that they don't decide to expand the number of PHEV stickers at some point...

 

[laalan]

The Governor signed it today.. Fitting on National Plug in Day :mrgreen:

Life is good!