Trump’s return-to-office mandate has revived the informal carpooling tradition of “slugging,” in which suburban commuters looking for a ride wait in line to get picked up by drivers wanting to take advantage of HOV lanes. Below, a few slugging numbers.
3,024
Number of spaces at Woodbridge’s Horner and Telegraph Lots, a commuter-parking complex that’s one of the most popular slug pickup spots.
7
Number of slug lines at Horner. Destinations include the Pentagon, 14th Street, and L’Enfant Plaza.
10
Estimated percentage of DC workers living in Northern Virginia who use slugging to get to work.
The year slugging took off. Hoping to reduce fuel use during an oil crisis, Virginia officials introduced HOV-4 lanes, and commuters soon worked out the informal carpool system.
5:30 am
Time that sluggers tend to start gathering at Horner. You can usually get a ride at one of the Woodbridge lots until about 8 am.
$800
Amount a driver could save on I-395 tolls over the course of a month by slugging instead.
Slugging Makes a Comeback for DC Area Commuters
What’s the deal with this carpooling hack?
Trump’s return-to-office mandate has revived the informal carpooling tradition of “slugging,” in which suburban commuters looking for a ride wait in line to get picked up by drivers wanting to take advantage of HOV lanes. Below, a few slugging numbers.
3,024
Number of spaces at Woodbridge’s Horner and Telegraph Lots, a commuter-parking complex that’s one of the most popular slug pickup spots.
7
Number of slug lines at Horner. Destinations include the Pentagon, 14th Street, and L’Enfant Plaza.
10
Estimated percentage of DC workers living in Northern Virginia who use slugging to get to work.
$441.53
Current price of the out-of-print 1999 book Slugging: The Commuting Alternative for Washington DC on AbeBooks. Now a collector’s item, the guide, by slugging guru David LeBlanc, includes maps and tips.
1973
The year slugging took off. Hoping to reduce fuel use during an oil crisis, Virginia officials introduced HOV-4 lanes, and commuters soon worked out the informal carpool system.
5:30 am
Time that sluggers tend to start gathering at Horner. You can usually get a ride at one of the Woodbridge lots until about 8 am.
$800
Amount a driver could save on I-395 tolls over the course of a month by slugging instead.
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Washingtonian.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Rock Creek Isn’t Safe to Swim In. RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025
Jeanine Pirro: 5 Things to Know About the Fox News Host Trump Picked to Be DC’s Top Prosecutor
The Devastating Story of Washington’s Peeping-Tom Rabbi
Trump Fires Librarian of Congress, Fox News Host to Be Next Top DC Prosecutor, Possibly Rabid Actual Fox Terrorizes Arlington
Washingtonian Magazine
May Issue: 52 Perfect Saturdays
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
DC Might Be Getting a Watergate Museum
DC-Area Universities Are Offering Trump Classes This Fall
Viral DC-Area Food Truck Flavor Hive Has It in the Bag
The Smithsonian’s Surprisingly Dangerous Early Days
More from News & Politics
A Vending Machine for DC Books Has Arrived in Western Market
A Non-Speaking Autistic Artist’s Paintings Are Getting a DC Gallery Show
Kristi Noem Wants a New Plane and a Reality Show, Kennedy Center Staff Plans to Unionize, and Trump’s Birthday Parade Could Cost $45 Million
Ed Martin Asks Judge to Investigate Lawyer Investigating Him, RFK Jr. Couldn’t Identify Office Named for His Aunt, and We Found Some Terrific Dominican Food
Federal Agents Arrest 189 in DC Immigration Crackdown
Five New Galleries Are Opening at DC’s National Air and Space Museum in July
DOGE’s Geniuses Are Bad at Math, Ed Martin’s New Job Is to “Shame” People, and the Commanders Will Play in Spain
A New Book About Joe Biden Has Washington Chattering, the Library Wars Continue, and the Wizards Lost Out in the Draft