I feel your pain. DC just got rated #1 in the worst traffic. That means worse than LA! Ew! I'm lucky in that the area has a lot of inclines. I can coast downhill in neutral more when traffic is very slow, and I have noticed tiny improvements in mpg when using neutral while traffic moves a few inches like every 3 minutes. Over 30 miles the neutral-ness adds up. Can your hybrid benefit from something like that, or will it just do the "battery crawl?"
I have to admit I know next to nothing about hybrid driving for FE. Building the buffer zone really helps me when traffic is moving a little faster though. Chicago commuters might cuss you out, but what else would be new?
In DC you just get some rolling of eyes and someone trying to pass you, unsuccessfully, because they have nowhere to go! I've been surprised how little the buffer zone gap is filled in by other drivers.
I'm really interested to see what others have to say on your topic!