OCTOBER is bringing not only chilly weather, but some major traffic law and road rule changes thanks to a discontinued federally mandated program.
Drivers in a major state who don’t adjust to the new approach face fines starting at $150 and two points on their license.
At the end of September, the Clean Air Vehicle Decal program many states had was phased out, with New York state’s take on it being known as Clean Pass.
One of the biggest benefits these programs provided, including New York’s clean pass, was allowing drivers of low- and zero-emission vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes when driving solo at any time.
The program’s discontinuation will resultantly push roughly 55,000 vehicles from the HOV lanes they previously qualified for back into main traffic during the Long Island rush hour.
Ex-Clean Pass drivers who don’t adjust to the program’s end could face fines from $150 to $450, plus a state-mandated additional surcharge of $88 to $93, and two points on their licenses.
Repeat offenses within 18 months of each other could result in further increased fine, an additional two points being added per offense, and a possible license suspension.
Unsurprisingly, locals who purchased their vehicle with these HOV lane benefits in mind aren’t happy.
“This sucks. It’s going to have a domino effect. I’m going to have to wake up earlier to leave earlier just to get to work on time, and forget it if there’s an accident,” said Long Island commuter Beverly Gandarillas to The New York Post.
Experts agree that the move will heavily impact traffic in the New York metropolitan area in an extremely negative way.
“Traffic is going to be worse,” said AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. on the fallout of the Clean Pass program’s discontinuation.
“We’ve crunched the numbers – there’s about 55,000 eligible vehicles on Long Island – so imagine that number of vehicles not being able to use land anymore and coming out into the normal flow of traffic,” he furthered.
While former Clean Pass users are obviously upset by the move, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and her office have also expressed disappointment in the decision.
“Unfortunately, the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have made Long Island drivers the latest victims in their never-ending campaign to make our air dirtier, and our traffic worse,” said a rep for the governor’s office in a statement.
New York’s Clean Pass program was launched in 2006, and despite being a largely state-run program like other similar ones, it required federal authorization to remain active.
The Trump administration allowed this authorization to expire in September, choosing not to renew it and ending each similar state-run program as a result.
Why aren't people buying EVs?
In January, many EV makers reported slow demand. Reuters said there are a few valid reasons for a slow in demand:
- High initial costs. Many automakers, like Tesla, Hyundai, and Ford have conducted “price slashes” on their flagship EVs to attract new buyers, though demand remains slow.
- Higher insurance costs. Some insurance companies cite fire risks, high costs of battery replacement, and higher vehicle weight as reasons for higher premiums.
- Charging anxiety. A large percentage of people remain fearful of being in a situation where they won’t be able to charge if they run out of battery due to a lack of infrastructure.
- Range anxiety. In many instances, EVs still don’t have the range and infrastructure of gas-powered vehicles.
- Poor performance in extreme temperatures. Reduced range in extremely hot or cold weather makes potential buyers wary.
Source: Reuters
While some states are actively fighting to keep their programs alive, these efforts will likely prove futile due to the ultimate need for federal authorization which is unexpected to be given.
The Trump administration also discontinued the $7,500 EV purchase tax credit at the end of September, which was one of the biggest EV adoption incentives alongside HOV/carpool lane benefits.
Other EV incentives discontinued at the end of September included free parking up to a specific length of time in certain areas of major cities.
EV EXTINCTION?
These latest incentive discontinuations come at a time where EV interest and sales are slumping, forcing major manufacturers such as General Motors to rethink their investment in electrification.
Other traditional manufacturers such as Honda have announced plans to pause EV production, while fully electric brands such as Rivian have been forced to go all in on production amidst these changes.
Yet some manufacturers have found incredible success with their EVs, such as Ford which is already seeing excitement swell around its leaked plans to revive the Ranchero as an EV.
