Anyone with VA special fuel plates

[Iwaboc70]

I've been doing some digging about the viability of clean special fuel plates and I'm somewhat stuck here. First I live and work west of 495, so I only have interest in using hov outside the beltway. I have a statement from the DMV and a VA state police officer that says the hov exemption has only expired from between 495 and 29 in Rosslyn.

"

Effective December 2017 Clean Special Fuel plates do not grant an exemption from the vehicle occupancy requirements on

• I-66 between the I-495 and Route 29 in Rosslyn

"

The problem is I can't figure out if the plates they issue today apply to that or if it's only old plates. The DMV site that shows the styles of plates doesn't explicitly list any of them as being ok, so it's very contradictory. Does anyone here have the newer style and still drive HOV? Have you been pulled over?

Thanks in advance

 

[Xenoilphobe]

They no longer issue HOV plates that grant HOV privileges outside the beltway. You have to be grandfathered in or transfer your legacy issued HOV plates to a new vehicle.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Really they should redo the program and make it BEV only or 90+ mpg + motorcycles

 

[Iwaboc70]

Hmm, I wonder why they still have the applications posted on the site..must be leftover..thanks though

 

[Paik4Life]

They no longer issue HOV plates that grant HOV privileges outside the beltway. You have to be grandfathered in or transfer your legacy issued HOV plates to a new vehicle.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

That's not how I'm reading it. They don't mention restricted use of 66 outside of the beltway (where I'd personally use it the most) or 270. Granted 95, 495, and 66 inside of the beltway are much more traffic heavy (hence the restrictions), but I will definitely find 66 very useful, if I'm interpreting that correctly.

~Paik

 

[tangent]

I registered my Tesla in February, and was able to the Clean Special Fuel plate. Looks like the plate is only available for pure electric car, but most service agents would have to call to Richmond to confirm that.

 

[CHRGIT]

That's not how I'm reading it. They don't mention restricted use of 66 outside of the beltway (where I'd personally use it the most) or 270. Granted 95, 495, and 66 inside of the beltway are much more traffic heavy (hence the restrictions), but I will definitely find 66 very useful, if I'm interpreting that correctly.

~Paik

270 is in Maryland, so .... doesn't apply. You need a Maryland HOV sticker (for MD tags only).

 

[Paik4Life]

270 is in Maryland, so .... doesn't apply. You need a Maryland HOV sticker (for MD tags only).

LOL, that is an EXCELLENT point. Well, I just got my delivery email, so I guess I'll find out! I would have hoped that VA/MD/DC would have some interstate agreement on HOV stuff, but that's probably wishful thinking.

~Paik

 

[Iwaboc70]

Yeah I just heard back from DMV and they do still issue them. Considering they said outside the beltway in VA is good I'm going to order them and see what happens.

 

[XHokie]

Also, the HOV benefit is still available on the Dulles Toll Road as well.

 

[compu85]

Good catch on the DTR.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#cleanspecialfuel.asp

 

[kaczmarczyk]

I don't think you can use the 66 HOV
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes - Rules and FAQs

 

[andrewket]

We had gen2 grandfathered plates that we gave up this year with the most recent changes. There is very little utility in NoVA now.

 

[Iwaboc70]

Just as an update I got my plates and have been driving with them for a few weeks. I see people in HOV with them all the time. I've driven past a few cops with no issues. The DMV site points out that they don't grant an exemption on:

• I-66 between the I-495 and Route 29 in Rosslyn (Effective December 2017*)

Meaning they do still grant the exemption outside the beltway. I verified this with the DMV and with Virginia State Police by calling and asking.

 

[boaterva]

And the way I read it (elsewhere) when the new construction on 66 (outside) is done, the HOV there will be gone also. Let me find a source...

Eh, just the usual stories saying the new lanes are like the ones inside the beltway, need Ezpass in HOV mode etc. Nothing about if plates will work outside or not.

2 Express lanes, 3 normal lanes in 2022, from what I saw.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

That need t9 make it a Bev only program

 

[boaterva]

That need t9 make it a Bev only program

Def so. All the ‘cheating’ hybrids need to go.

 

[boaterva]

Just as an update I got my plates and have been driving with them for a few weeks. I see people in HOV with them all the time. I've driven past a few cops with no issues. The DMV site points out that they don't grant an exemption on:

• I-66 between the I-495 and Route 29 in Rosslyn (Effective December 2017*)

Meaning they do still grant the exemption outside the beltway. I verified this with the DMV and with Virginia State Police by calling and asking.

Very unclear. It says the ‘hybrid exemption has been retired’ and ‘all 66 drivers are being treated the same’. I don’t see anything saying outside is still allowed. I agree this page has always been a nightmare to navigate and comprehend.

The only clear part for NoVa is the DTR is still allowed for those with plates.

Hybrid rules on Interstate 66:

The Hybrid Exemption has retired. Retiring the Clean Special Fuelvehicle exemption is a part of an overall strategy to treat all I-66 users more equally and to move more people with greater efficiency by encouraging greater HOV and transit usage.

Inside the Beltway, all lanes are HOV-2 from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eastbound, 3 - 7 p.m. westbound, Monday through Friday. Outside the Beltway, the left lane is HOV-2 from 5:30 - 9:30 a.m. eastbound, 3 -7 p.m. westbound, Monday through Friday.

 

[Iwaboc70]

The documentation is extremely contradictory...it makes no sense. But I've had them now for nearly 2 months and driven the entirety of 66 outside the beltway with cops directly in front of and directly behind me and never got pulled over. I pass them every day and see them pull other people over...just never me.

I think what happened was they did truly end it, but enough people bitched about it so they clarified it was only for inside the beltway. I remember seeing the page and it said no where on 66, it was only when I starting digging at it again that I noticed it had that clarification.