Homegrown Carpooling Makes A Difference in D.C.

In Washington, D.C., 28 miles of HOV lines make it very tempting to add a couple of passengers in your back seat. A booming, informal system has formed around just that, which locals call "slugging."

1 minute read

March 7, 2011, 2:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur

Emily Badger of Miller-McCune looks at the impact of slugging on the local streets. An expert she interviews estimates that almost 10,000 cars are being taken out of the commute in D.C. through this new form of carpooling:

"Every morning, these commuters meet in park-and-ride lots along the interstate in northern Virginia. They then ride, often in silence, without exchanging so much as first names, obeying rules of etiquette but having no formal organization. No money changes hands, although the motive is hardly altruistic. Each person benefits in pursuit of a selfish goal: For the passenger, it's a free ride; for the driver, a pass to the HOV lane, and both get a faster trip than they would otherwise. Even society reaps rewards, as thousands of cars come off the highway."

FULL STORY: Slugging — The People's Transit

Monday, March 7, 2011 in Miller-McCune

Transportation District of Columbia Carpooling

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