‘Pool Rewards: Cash for Carpools

Commuters who currently drive alone to work through one of three specific corridors in the Washington region may be eligible for financial rewards when they agree to start or join a new carpool!  

The corridors include:

I-495: Bethesda to Tyson’s Corner (west bound in the morning, east bound in the evening). At a minimum, the carpool must be traveling on this corridor anywhere between MD-190 (River Road) and VA-123 (Chain Bridge Rd).

I-495: MD-295 (Baltimore-Washington Parkway) to I-270 (west bound in the morning, east bound in the evening). At a minimum, the carpool must  be traveling on this corridor anywhere between MD-295 to I-270.

I-395: Washington, D.C. to Northern Virginia (south bound in the morning, north bound in the evening). At a minimum, the carpool must be using the 14th Street Bridge (I-395) to travel between the District of Columbia and Virginia.

‘Pool Rewards is a pilot project by Commuter Connections to encourage current drive alone commuters to try carpooling along several heavily traveled commute routes.  If eligible you can earn $2 per day ($1 each way) for each day you carpool to work over a consecutive 90-day period as assigned by Commuter Connections.   The maximum incentive for the 90-day trial period is $130 in exchange for going online and logging information about your new commute and for completing surveys about the experience.

Each new carpool must commute to work an average of two or more weekdays for the duration of the 90-day program. Applicants must not have used an alternative commute mode (i.e., carpool, vanpool, transit, bicycle, walk) more than three days in the 30 days prior to applying for ‘Pool Rewards.  Sorry, but the focus is on commuters and carpools only, so neither vanpools nor students are eligible.  Other rules and limitations apply. Participants must fully read all guidelines before being considered and for participation.

 

PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT STEPS ON HOW TO SIGN UP:

All Pool Rewards participants must first establish an account by registering with
Commuter Connections.  If you're new to Commuter Connections, click the 'Register Here' button as seen in the screen shot below.  If you already have a Commuter Connections account, log in with your User Name and Password.

 

After creating your new account select ‘Join Pool Rewards’ as seen in the screen shot below.  If you already have an account with Commuter Connections, after logging in, click on the green Pool Rewards tab at the top of the page.

 

 

Next you are ready to register your ‘Pool Rewards carpool!

To start the ‘Pool Rewards carpool registration process, each new carpool first needs to have a “Primary Participant”.  In order to be the Primary Participant, all you need to have is the name and email address for at least one potential carpool partner ready when registering.  After identifying the other potential carpool member(s), the Primary Participant will be issued a six-digit carpool id number.

The Commuter Connections ‘Pool Rewards system will send an automated e-mail message to the other potential carpool member(s).  This email will identify the Primary Participant that is looking to start the new carpool and will contain the carpool id # and a link inviting the person(s) to join the new carpool.   Individuals agreeing to join the new carpool will need to have the carpool id # handy while signing up online.