Governor Green Lights Carpool Lane Stickers for Hybrids, Plug-Ins

[Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from a press release issued by the Office of Sen. Leland Yee.]

Plug-in hybrids, electric cars, and other state of the art green vehicles will continue to grant their owners access to the carpool lane in order to further reduce California’s carbon footprint. This weekend, Governor Brown signed bills to extend the “Green Sticker” and “White Sticker” programs, allowing the latest generation of low-emission vehicles to access the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) highway lanes.

SB 286 was authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) who created the Green Sticker program three years ago to encourage Californians to switch to more environmentally conscious vehicles. SB 286 extends the Green Sticker program an additional three years, which would allow plug-in hybrid cars to access the HOV lanes until 2019.

“California is known for being at the forefront of technological advances,” said Yee. 

“We should also be at the forefront of driving cleaner, greener vehicles that reduce our dependence on oil and clean our air, all while creating jobs for Californians. I thank Governor Brown for supporting these important measures and for his leadership in making California greener,” added Yee.

“Extending carpool lane access for the cleanest vehicles is an important incentive to boost car choices that fight air pollution and reduce lung illnesses,” said Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. 

“These bills would help support improved air quality and health as well as a sustainable climate.”