Thinking about getting a hybrid vehicle? Colorado transportation officials are offering an incentive that may help you decide.

The transportation department plans to issue 2,000 permits to hybrid vehicle owners to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes and express toll highway lanes.

It is accepting applications from interested parties and will award the permits through a lottery system.

The department is starting with a limited number of permits to make sure there will be little or no effect on travel speeds in HOV lanes as required by federal law.