Baltimore giving owners of hybrid vehicles a break

BALTIMORE (AP) — Drivers of fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles soon won't have to pay as much at Baltimore parking facilities.

The program, which applies to select hybrids including the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius, will net drivers an average of $55 in savings a month, officials said Friday.

There were 1,514 new hybrid vehicles registered in the Baltimore area in 2004, an increase of about 80 percent compared with the year before, Mayor Martin O'Malley said.

Officials do not expect the parking discount to make an immediate dent in the $18.6 million in annual revenues from the city's garages.