5 ms·

In Seattle or other cities where traffic congestion is such a problem, I'd take someone for free if I could drive in the carpool lanes. I can even imagine someo

In Seattle or other cities where traffic congestion is such a problem, I'd take someone for free if I could drive in the carpool lanes. I can even imagine someone who could be paid for just being a body in the car by someone really well off.

JacobDotVI 9y ago
Washington, DC has slug lines, which are exactly that. http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp
- joncrane 9y ago
  The weird thing about this is for some reason it's huge in NoVa but not so much in the Maryland suburbs. Or at least it used to be. Not sure why.
  - jcranmer 9y ago
    Slugging doesn't seem to really exist on a sustained basis anywhere other than NoVa. My guess is that it requires a specific set of circumstances to take off: SOV commutes need to be generally feasible (so that you have drivers), HOV lanes need to exist (so that drivers have a reason to pick up passengers), you need specific job loci (to make driver/passenger matching exist), and you need commuter buses (to provide the passengers). The Pentagon and I-395 provide one of the most optimal conditions for slugging, with the added bonus that you have effectively direct access ramps from Springfield and the Pentagon that completely bypass the regular lanes. Since I-66 was HOV-only during the rush hour until recently, that probably retarded the existence of slugging despite HOV lanes (since the SOV backup wasn't so feasible). Similarly, the lack of HOV lanes in MD (save for 270) also retard the impetus for slugging.
    - joncrane 9y ago
      I think it might be that HOV-only lanes need to exist. 270 Has HOV lanes but it's just the left lane (out of minimum 3, sometimes 6).
- j_s 9y ago
  Also (same region), per https://www.commuterconnections.org/about-us https://www.commuterconnections.org/about-us >network of transportation organizations [...] services are provided free to the public and employers Commuter Connections | https://tdm.commuterconnections.org/mwcog https://tdm.commuterconnections.org/mwcog >Instantly find rideshare partners [...] Ride Free!
blang 9y ago
Have you looked into king county ride share? http://www.rideshareonline.com http://www.rideshareonline.com
lucb1e 9y ago
Are carpool lanes that common? I've heard of their existence, but I'm not sure I've ever seen one anywhere (Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France or Finland, that is). And how are they enforced?
- quest88 9y ago
  They're common on highways in large cities in the US. They're supposed to be enforced through police. They'll give you a ticket if your caught not riding with enough people in the car. The police rarely monitor it in the bay area, in my experience. Many people they don't meet the requirements ride in it anyway.
jsadow 9y ago
Depending on what part of Seattle you commute to, you should definitely try out Scoop and see what you think! There are thousands of commuters in the King County area using Scoop (https://www.takescoop.com https://www.takescoop.com) already to turn their trips to work into meaningful time and take advantage of HOV lanes.

JacobDotVI 9y ago

Washington, DC has slug lines, which are exactly that. http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp

joncrane 9y ago
The weird thing about this is for some reason it's huge in NoVa but not so much in the Maryland suburbs. Or at least it used to be. Not sure why.
- jcranmer 9y ago
  Slugging doesn't seem to really exist on a sustained basis anywhere other than NoVa. My guess is that it requires a specific set of circumstances to take off: SOV commutes need to be generally feasible (so that you have drivers), HOV lanes need to exist (so that drivers have a reason to pick up passengers), you need specific job loci (to make driver/passenger matching exist), and you need commuter buses (to provide the passengers). The Pentagon and I-395 provide one of the most optimal conditions for slugging, with the added bonus that you have effectively direct access ramps from Springfield and the Pentagon that completely bypass the regular lanes. Since I-66 was HOV-only during the rush hour until recently, that probably retarded the existence of slugging despite HOV lanes (since the SOV backup wasn't so feasible). Similarly, the lack of HOV lanes in MD (save for 270) also retard the impetus for slugging.
  - joncrane 9y ago
    I think it might be that HOV-only lanes need to exist. 270 Has HOV lanes but it's just the left lane (out of minimum 3, sometimes 6).
j_s 9y ago
Also (same region), per https://www.commuterconnections.org/about-us https://www.commuterconnections.org/about-us >network of transportation organizations [...] services are provided free to the public and employers Commuter Connections | https://tdm.commuterconnections.org/mwcog https://tdm.commuterconnections.org/mwcog >Instantly find rideshare partners [...] Ride Free!

blang 9y ago

Have you looked into king county ride share? http://www.rideshareonline.com http://www.rideshareonline.com

lucb1e 9y ago

Are carpool lanes that common? I've heard of their existence, but I'm not sure I've ever seen one anywhere (Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France or Finland, that is). And how are they enforced?

quest88 9y ago
They're common on highways in large cities in the US. They're supposed to be enforced through police. They'll give you a ticket if your caught not riding with enough people in the car. The police rarely monitor it in the bay area, in my experience. Many people they don't meet the requirements ride in it anyway.

jsadow 9y ago

Depending on what part of Seattle you commute to, you should definitely try out Scoop and see what you think! There are thousands of commuters in the King County area using Scoop (https://www.takescoop.com https://www.takescoop.com) already to turn their trips to work into meaningful time and take advantage of HOV lanes.