Money savings and convenience attract new riders to slug lines

Dynamic ride sharing or "slugging" is a growing phenomenon in Northern Virginia and an important part of the commuting picture for many who travel on the I-95 corridor every day. The DC area is one of a few areas in this country where slugging is possible due to the presence of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, and it’s not going away.

In July, a group of ride-sharing experts hosted "Slugging & Beyond: DC Area Dynamic Ridesharing Symposium" in Rosslyn.

"It’s really an interesting way to carpool. For me it saves 40 to 45 minutes," said David Leblanc, an avid slug rider from Woodbridge and webmaster of www.slug-lines.com.

For David Ortiz, his slugging experience was "life changing."

"It actually helped us buy our house" with the money he saved, he said. Ortiz was at the meeting promoting a new slug line to Alexandria that is scheduled to begin September. "We're looking at the King Street station as being the destination," Ortiz added.

Slugging started back in the 1970’s when the HOV lanes first appeared on I-95 and drivers were looking for a way to find a way to meet the number of riders in a car without forming a carpool. Slug lines started appearing at bus stops and commuter parking lots, and now there are 19 slug line locations stretching from Fredericksburg to Springfield, with drop-off points at the Pentagon, Arlington and Washington, D.C. Slugging will be possible on I-495 because in 2013, HOV-3 cars can travel for free in the new Capital Beltway High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes.

Motorists on I-95 might prefer slugging over the next few months to avoid the construction on the southbound side between Springfield and Occoquan, where the I-95 widening project is adding another lane to that stretch of the highway. While the regular lanes might experience mid-day and overnight lane closures due to construction, the HOV lanes aren’t affected so that would make slugging ideal.

These were just a few of the ideas that were discussed to promote this ridesharing phenomenon. For more information, log on to www.Slug-Lines.com or for information on the lane closures, click on the "lane closures" link to the left.