Seth Wenig / AP
A curiosity of D.C. commuting meets the app age as Uber introduces a new carpooling feature in Northern Virgina. But will riders pay to slug? The Washington Post's Faiz Siddiqui says Uber is betting on it:
- "Uber will use Northern Virginia as a testing ground for a new carpooling feature, described by the company as 'digital slug lines.' ... [S]luggers [are] a dedicated group of commuters who [line up at commuter lots, and get in strangers' cars] to use HOV lanes to save time and money."
- "The new Uber service, called Commute, will initially be available in Tysons, Fairfax City and Alexandria, targeting the Interstate 66 and Interstate 395 corridors along with the George Washington Parkway."
- "Drivers will net $5 to $10 per ride ... Uber is advertising Commute as a lower-cost alternative to uberPool, the app's cheapest option, where riders headed in the same direction split the cost of a trip. An uberPool trip costing $15 to upward of $25 would cost $5 to $10 with Commute."