The D.C.-area's form of "casual carpooling", called slugging, is expanding for the summer.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has shut down all Metro rail access to Alexandria for major platform repairs and station upgrades. Metro rail service to all stations south of Reagan National Airport is expected to resume sometime in early September.
Thousands of commuters who normally use Metro rail will be affected, as well as those who commute by car and other means as Metro rail users shift to alternatives.
Slugging is a long-running form of carpooling -- a driver pulls up to a Sluglines stop and holds up a sign or calls out their ultimate destination. Riders who are going to or near that destination get into that car, allowing the driver use HOV lanes and get everyone to work a little bit faster.
New Sluglines are now operating from:
- Franconia-Springfield Metro station
- Landmark Mall (riders must have a permit to leave their vehicle at the mall)
- Van Dorn Street Metro station.
At other Metro rail stations, people are coordinating Sluglines through a Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/DCSluglines.
Dropoff locations are are:
- L'Enfant Plaza (801 D St. SW)
- 14th Street NW at Madison Street (near Constitution Ave./the Dept. of Commerce)
- 19th and F Streets NW
Those morning drop-off locations will serve as pick-up locations to return to Alexandria in the late afternoons.
For more information on slugging, go to sluglines.com/metroshutdown.
