Slugging out traffic congestion in the city

Traffic congestion got you down? Why not slug it out? Slugging is a phenomenon already popular in nightmare traffic cities like Washington D.C. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I watched the G Word on the Planet Green TV channel and read an article on NPR about it in the same week.

Basically slugging is car-pooling with strangers. People form lines at popular bus stations between 5-8am and 3-6pm. The drivers pull up, call out where they’re going, and pick-up passengers going their way. Why do it? In seriously congested cities like D.C., there is a HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane that moves 2-4 times faster than the general interstate traffic. A driver who picks up a slug or two at the bus station can make it to work in 30 minutes instead of 90. A slug who scores a ride makes as good or better time than the bus and rides for free. People are motivated by saving time and money, but little do they all know that they are keeping cars off the road and working to save the environment.

There are some interesting social rules for slugging, like when to talk and what to discuss. I’m sure the drivers take a gamble on what kind of Cracker Jack Prize they pick up, but in the history of slugging, there have been no reports of trouble or crime.

Recently, the Cincinnati metro ranked 33rd for metro traffic congestion, with southbound I-75 at Freeman Ave making the list as the worst traffic problem in Ohio. Cincinnati has experimented with allowing bus traffic only on the highway shoulder during rush hour, maybe it’s time to discuss an HOV lane on the most congested interstates around the city. The Park and Ride stops would make excellent slugging points. The Enquirer reported this week that local Ride Share and public transit ridership are up and that the bus transit system is looking to expand with partnerships. The stars are aligning. There’s no need to drive alone when you can carpool, ride share, take mass transit, or try slugging!