You and Your Wallet Will Soon Qualify for Life in the Fast Lane

A few years ago, a national chain specializing in novelty items for yuppies marketed a life-size dummy named Gregory, whose purpose was to dupe law enforcement agencies into believing you really did have a car-pool partner and thus qualified for the “diamond lane.”

Fret no more. You can kiss Gregory goodby.

Under a plan announced Thursday by the San Diego Assn. of Governments, individuals driving alone may soon be able to veer into car-pool lanes without penalty from the cops.

The catch is, any solo driver wishing to use the diamond lane free of fines or court dates would have to pay for the privilege through a prepaid or automated collection system.

Sandag officials announced that Federal Transit Administrator Brian Clymber has awarded the agency a $350,000 grant to determine whether drivers who commute to work alone--as most do--are willing to pay to use car-pool lanes.

Sandag plans to initiate a two-year feasibility study, which agency official John Duve says will involve actual demonstrations--the first of their kind in the country--in the “high-occupancy vehicle” lanes along the Interstate 15 corridor in North County.

Duve says the goal is to reduce freeway congestion, improve air quality and save energy. Revenue generated from the project, if it is eventually implemented, will be used to develop more public transit along the heavily traveled corridor that stretches from San Diego to Riverside.

The project will evolve in two phases, Duve said, with decals sold on a monthly basis, followed by a second, high-tech phase in which motorists who have paid will be verified electronically the second they enter the lane.

They won’t need a decal, Duve said. And if they haven’t paid, the technology--some of which was used in Operation Desert Storm--will sense it immediately. No alarm will sound. Nor will an arresting officer--a human being--be needed. They will be fined electronically and sent a citation in the mail.

No word yet on prices, but Gregory, who has been discontinued by The Sharper Image, retailed for $499. Duve predicts the new “solo car-pool” system will be a much better buy.