Free ride over for electric vehicles on the Long Island Expressway car pool lanes: 'This sucks'

"The federally mandated Clean Pass program expired on Wednesday, which means the more than 55,000 metro area motorists will no longer be allowed into the high-occupancy lanes during rush hour. "This sucks," Central Islip commuter and healthcare worker Beverly Gandarillas told The Post. "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.""

"Launched in 2006, Clean Pass sought to encourage the use of fuel efficient and electric cars by allowing them to bypass HOV requirements that only allow vehicles with multiple passengers - giving EV drivers a break from the infamous LIE rush hour gridlock. But President Trump pulled federal approval from the program, just one of a slew of clean energy initiatives yanked in 15 states by the White House."

""Traffic is going to be worse," said AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. "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." US Census data shows that carpooling on Long Island was already slipping since the HOV lanes opened in the 1990s, dropping from about 12% of commuters then to 11% today."

The federally mandated Clean Pass program expired Wednesday, removing HOV lane access for more than 55,000 metro-area electric and hybrid vehicle drivers. Clean Pass, launched in 2006, allowed qualifying fuel-efficient and electric cars to bypass HOV occupancy requirements and ease rush-hour delays. Federal approval was withdrawn under the Trump Administration as part of broader clean-energy rollbacks. Commuters report longer travel times, schedule changes and increased vulnerability to delays from accidents. Transportation experts and AAA warn that congestion will worsen as thousands of vehicles re-enter general lanes; census data shows Long Island carpooling fell from about 12% to 11% since HOV lanes opened. Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the decision as worsening air quality and traffic.

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