Owners of hybrid vehicles should be able to apply as soon as May 1 for special stickers to allow them to drive with no passengers in high-occupancy vehicle and high-occupancy toll lanes in Colorado at no cost.
The state will award 2,000 stickers by lottery to a pool of 17,000 hybrid owners in Colorado.
Rules allowing hybrids in express lanes cover HOV lanes on Interstate 25, U.S. 36 and South Santa Fe Drive in metro Denver and Colorado 82 between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.
Officials on Monday told a public hearing on the hybrids-in-HOV-lane plan that the Colorado Transportation Commission has the right to determine which vehicles — hybrids or toll-paying single-occupant vehicles — would be excluded first from express lanes if the lanes become congested.
HOT lanes on I-25 north of downtown Denver let single-occupant vehicles pay a toll to use the HOV lanes.
Rules covering the use of HOV and HOT lanes by hybrids say if the lanes become congested, the Colorado Department of Transportation can restrict access to the lanes by hybrids or charge them tolls where there are HOT lanes.
At the hearing, Greg MacKinnon, operations manager of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, said local planning groups like his should have a say in deciding whether toll-paying single-occupant vehicles or hybrids have priority in using the express lanes.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Meyer, representing CDOT, said state officials are not required to consult with groups such as DRCOG when deciding such issues.
CDOT hopes the hybrids-in-HOV rules will be final by April 30.
