is true if you have a prius, you can ride in the carpool lane even if there only one person in the car?
i just heard it today. i wonder if it’s true.
Depends on the state.
In VA, AZ, and UT, you need the special license plates issued from that state. In CA, FL, and NY, you need the state issued stickers on your car. In CA and NJ, it is also linked to your EZ-Pass.
CA:
http://arbis.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm
In CA, the single-occupant HOV lane stickers was limited to hybrids that not only met ULEV emission standards, but also had EPA highway ratings of over 45MPG. (So, only the 2001-2004 Honda Insight, the 2003-2007 Honda Civic Hybrid, and the 2001-2007 Toyota Prius qualified as hybrids for the single-occupant HOV lane sticker.)
Since the 85,000 maximum amount of CA stickers were issued, and that number was reached, used hybrids with the HOV stickers are running at about a $4,000 premium over those without the stickers. http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-03-25-hybrid-carpool-stickers_N.htm?csp=34
NJ: http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/index-hybrid.htm
http://www.nj.gov/transportation/about/press/2006/051406.shtm
AZ: order the Energy-Efficient plates and hybrid sticker at http://www.servicearizona.com/ under a pilot program
FL decals: http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us//dmv/HOV.html
NY decals: https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/programs/clean-pass
UT plates: http://dmv.utah.gov/licensespecialplates.html#cleanfuel
VA plates: https://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/citizen/vehicles/cleanspecialfuel.asp
https://www.dmv.state.va.us/exec/vehicle/splates/info.asp?idnm=CFP
http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-rulesfaq.asp#faq
Prius Envy
