D.C. forces slugs from 14th Street

Washington –– Tensions rose Tuesday afternoon when Lake Ridge commuters were told they could no longer slug from a busy street in Downtown Washington.

About 15 slugs – commuters who ride in cars of three or more passengers so they can use High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Interstate 95 and 395 – were handed fliers from the Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation, stating they could no longer stand and wait to be picked up on 14^th Street, between H Street and New York Avenue.

The slug line will be relocated one block over, to the less-congested 15^th Street, the flier stated.

The change, which officials say will be a two-week trial as they look to see if traffic flow on 14^th Street improves without drivers stopping to pick up slugs, came as a surprise for many who now fear they’ll be left without a ride home.

The city says it gave advanced warning to commuters about the change, but it also came as a surprise for Virginia Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-11^th, who’s worked with the city on commuter issues for the better part of 2010.

“People are not going to drive down here, go around the corner, make a U turn [to go to 15^th Street] and come pick us up. They are going to drive further down 14^th Street to pick up other slugs,” said a woman bound for a commuter lot at Va. 123 and Old Bridge Road.”

One commuter tried to make the best of the situation.

“We could be in Somalia or someplace. There’s much more difficult place to live in the world than here. It’s just a slight inconvenience,” said commuter Brian Bakur.

But another commuter quickly cast a shadow over his positive outlook.

“It’s not a slight inconvenience when you work at 11^th and L…You work closer to 15^th Street and don’t have to walk as far,” he cried.

A representative from the District Department of Transportation who was distributing fliers declined to comment on the relocation.

Her flier stated a new “no stopping, standing or parking rule” at the slug pick-up spot prompted the change, and that “violators will be ticketed.”

Connolly’s office got an earful earlier this year from constituents who were ticketed by D.C. police while picking up slugs at the 14^th Street spot, said Connolly spokesman George Burke.

After hearing from those ticketed, the congressman began working with the Metropolitan Police Department to make sure their officers weren’t treating Virginia commuters unfairly.

“We spoke to DDOT today [about the slug-line relocation] and we said ‘what’s up,’” said Burke. “We expected to be notified ahead of time, before the media, so we could notify our constituents ahead of time, but obviously that did not occur.”

After the conversation, Connolly for the first time Wednesday learned about the slug-line relocation, said Burke.

But slugs, who help contribute to the reduction of traffic and pollution, say they’re not the problem.

“What they’re doing is saying the slugs lines is why there’s traffic, but it’s not the slug lines, it’s rush hour – that’s the reason why there’s traffic. They’re inconveniencing all of the people who take the slug lines from here,” said George May, of Manassas Park.

But at the same time slugs were being told to move Tuesday, an OmniRide commuter bus pulled up as slugs looked on, stopped for three minutes and picked up at least 20 passengers who were waiting for the bus.

“There is no talk about moving the OmniRide stop at 14^th and New York at this time,” said OmniRide spokeswoman Christine Rodrigo.

As time goes on, however, some commuter bus stops in Washington may be relocated after officials finalize a new commuter bus plan.

During the trial period, Connolly’s office hopes to hear from commuters about the plan, and have asked them to email the office with the word “slug” in the subject line, said Burke.