Carpool scofflaws targeted

For now, hybrid cars can keep zooming along in California's car-pool lanes. But other solo motorists who have been sneaking into the lanes are going to have to go. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

That's because, under federal pressure to speed up sluggish car-pool lanes, California transit officials said Tuesday that they will seek to crack down on motorists who use the lanes illegally and boost the fines for violators.

The beefed-up enforcement push comes as federal officials had set a deadline this month for Caltrans to develop strategies to deal with the traffic-clogging lanes that were supposed to be speedy options for drivers.