Hybrids kicked out of carpool lanes

LOS ANGELES – The elites of California freeways – carpoolers and hybrid owners – were adjusting to diverging fortunes Friday as new rules of the road brought better commutes for some and worse commutes for others.

Beginning Friday, owners of hybrid cars were kicked out of carpool lanes and forced to crawl to work with the rest of the solo drivers. Though the change is lamented by hybrid owners, some carpoolers are cheering. Transportation experts say the shift could reduce traffic in carpool lanes at a time when some of the lanes are becoming more congested.

Sharing those lanes has never been easy. Carpoolers have long grumbled that solo drivers should not be allowed to use lanes designed for ridesharing. One common complaint: Hybrid drivers tend to drive slower than carpoolers to maximize their fuel efficiency.

The state used access to carpool lanes as an incentive to get people to buy the fuel-efficient cars. At one point, the yellow stickers required for hybrid owners to use the lanes were such hot commodities that cars with the stickers could gain an additional $1,000 in resale value.

Hybrids made up about 6 percent of the vehicles in Los Angeles County’s carpool lanes.

The change comes as some of Southern California’s carpool lanes are becoming increasingly jammed during rush hour.

A few years ago, the California Department of Transportation commissioned a report that found many carpool lanes do not meet federal minimum standards, which call for a traffic flow of 45 mph or faster during rush hour.