Adam Schiff: “The car pool lane has been a tremendous success at reducing air pollution and alleviating traffic jams since it was…”

“The car pool lane has been a tremendous success at reducing air pollution and alleviating traffic jams since it was introduced 3 decades ago. The idea works because it is a simple trade-off, more choice for more responsibility. We can use this powerful trade-off to encourage more than just car pooling. Hybrid gas electric cars have doubled the gas mileage of standard cars, which means they fight air pollution as surely as car pooling does; and unlike other clean car technologies, they are also now available in meaningful numbers. This fledgling technology has great potential, but we need to help it get off the ground further. There is a small tax deduction for purchasing a hybrid car, but expanding this deduction would cost money at a time when we are tightening our fiscal belts. Instead, we can use the incentive of the car pool lanes to encourage drivers to purchase hybrid cars without affecting the U.S. Treasury's bottom line. Both the administration and the Senate have recognized the potential of this approach.”