Pre Tour One...Commuting from the Woodbridge, Dumfries, Triangle areas of Prince William County (the I95 corridor).
"Commuting"...fear in the hearts of men (and women)!! Not to worry, I have all the options right here. So, take your choice and enjoy the trip. Virginia Rail Express is a comfortable. clean. easy way of getting to work or connecting to Metro to expand service. There are 3 convenient station in the Woodbridge, Dumfires, Triangle area and I have posted connections to information on the stations individually. For your convenience, I have also posted the station map and fare information separately.'
Lastly, I have posted a separate connection to the Metro interactive or printable station map for your ease in exploring routes. Please use these tools and see how 'close' Prince William County really is.
In additon to VRE, commuter bus run morning and evening fromconvenient park n ride locations to Capitol Hill Crystal City, Downtown DC, Ballston, Navy Yard, Tysons Corner and the Pentagon. Please refer to the separate post for schedules and maps.
I 95 does have an HOV lane which requires 3 riders and that's great if you're travelling with friends or associates BUT if you're not...don't worry..that's where Slug Lines come in to play.
What is Slugging?
Slugging is a term used to describe a unique form of commuting found in the Washington, DC area sometimes referred to as "Instant Carpooling" or "Casual Carpooling". It's unique because people commuting into the city stop to pickup other passengers even though they are total strangers! However, slugging is a very organized system with its own set of rules, proper etiquette, and specific pickup and drop-off locations. It has thousands of vehicles at its disposal, moves thousands of commuters daily, and the best part, it’s FREE! Not only is it free, but it gets people to and from work faster than the typical bus, metro, or train. I think you'll find that it is the most efficient, cost-effective form of commuting in the nation.
How the Slugging Works
The system of slugging is quite simple. A car needing additional passengers to meet the required 3- person high occupancy vehicle (HOV) minimum pulls up to one of the known slug lines. The driver usually positions the car so that the slugs are on the passenger side. The driver either displays a sign with the destination or simply lowers the passenger window, to call out the destination, such as "Pentagon," "L’Enfant Plaza," or "14th & New York." The slugs first in line for that particular destination then hop into the car, normally confirming the destination, and off they go.
No money is exchanged because of the mutual benefit: the car driver needs riders just as much as the slugs need a ride. Each party needs the other in order to survive. Normally, there is no conversation unless initiated by the driver; usually the only words exchanged are "Thank you" as the driver drops off the slugs at the destination.
There doesn’t need to be any discussion about the destination , such as giving directions, because the drop-off points are generally understood. "Rosslyn" means the Metro station in Rosslyn, not at some other point along the way. The "Pentagon" means the curb along Fern Street, not the North Parking Lot. However, there are a few places where the destination drop-off point is not understood; in these cases, the slug must state where he or she wishes to be dropped off. For example, at "Tackett’s Mill," the driver usually asks "New or Old Lot?" because the driver will take you to either. And there is Crystal City, where drivers drop off slugs anywhere between 12th Street and 23rd streets.
How Slugging Began
Slugging can trace its roots back to the Arab oil embargo of the 1970’s. During this era, gas prices soared, as it became apparent that the United States was dependent on foreign oil. In an attempt to reduce its dependence, the United States adopted a number of measures to curb gasoline consumption. Speed limits were reduced from 65+ m.p.h. to 55 m.p.h., car manufacturers were told to make cars more efficient, and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were constructed. These lanes were for vehicles with more than three occupants. The benefit for the government was twofold: reduced gasoline consumption as well as some environmental benefits.
The Shirley Highway
This is quoted from page 1 of "I-95/I-395 HOV RESTRICTION STUDY VOLUME I: SUMMARY REPORT", Feb 1999, at www.virginiadot.org/travel/resources/studynova-hov395Final.pdf :"History of HOV in Corridor""The Shirley Highway (I-395) component of the I-95/I-395 HOV facility was the first freeway HOV lane in the United States. Opened in 1969, it was originally a bus-only lane. The initial 4.8 mile reversible bus-only lane was extended and expanded into a 9 mile two-lane reversible facility in 1975 when it was opened to carpools and vanpools with four or more occupants (HOV 4+). In January 1989, the HOV requirement was reduced to HOV 3+. Since that time, the HOV facility has been extended further south on I-95 reaching its current limit just south of Route 234 in Dumfries in 1997. This facility, which carries 14 percent more persons during the morning HOV-restricted period (6:00 to 9:00) than the general purpose lanes and nearly 10 percent more persons during the evening HOV-restricted period (3:30 to 6:00), is recognized by the transportation community as the most successful HOV facility in the United States today."
When the HOV lanes on "The Shirley Highway" (I95/I395) were opened to carpools and vanpools in 1975, the first slug lines began to emerged. With these high occupancy lanes being strictly enforced, drivers had to abide by the HOV-4 rule (later changed to HOV-3) or pay stiff fines.
When a driver did not have enough passengers for the HOV, he would pull up to a line of commuters waiting for the bus and offer a ride to anybody in the line. Faced with waiting in the summer heat or winter cold for a bus that could be late or full to capacity, some commuters began opting for the car. Soon word began to spread as drivers found an easy solution to meeting the HOV requirements, and bus riders found a faster, cheaper alternative to the bus. I’m sure it took some time for the word to spread, but soon enough people knew which bus stops catered to the offers of free rides.
It is believed that slugging began with people waiting at bus stops on their way to the Pentagon (which was—and still—is a major transportation hub.
For locations and more information go to: http://slug-lines.com/Slugging/Map.asp
Hope this research helps. HAVE A GREAT COMMUTE!!
Virginia Rail Express, with 3 easy to get to stations is a quick, clean and comfortable way to get to work or to connect to the Metro system and expand your routing.
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