Summary: To reduce air pollution and U.S. oil dependence, Congress has passed legislation promoting the use of alternative-fueled vehicles. Several barriers, however, including higher fuel costs and uncertainty about the availability of alternative fuels, may deter businesses and consumers from buying these vehicles. As a result, legislation has been introduced that would offer potential buyers exemptions from some transportation control measures, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes. This report examines (1) how exemptions might affect achieving the transportation control measures' purposes, (2) how effective exemptions might be in increasing purchases of alternative fueled vehicles and the use of alternative fuels, (3) whether government and industry officials believe that an exemption program should be controlled by the federal government or the states, (4) how the public might react to exemptions, (5) how exemptions are likely to affect the enforcement of transportation control measures, and (6) what specific kinds of alternative-fueled vehicles might receive exemptions.
