At the end of this month, thousands of California drivers of clean-air vehicles will lose one of their most coveted commuting perks: the ability to drive solo in carpool lanes.
The state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal program — in place since 1999 — will officially expire on Sept. 30. Beginning Oct. 1, all decals will be invalid, and single-occupant clean-air vehicles will be treated like any other car in high-occupancy vehicle and express lanes.
The change stems from a federal “sunset provision” in Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code, which required congressional approval for an extension. That approval never came, according to the California Air Resources Board…