Over the past decade, more than 32,000 Georgians have been part of a program that rewards them for doing their part to clear the roads and clean the air.  It was 10 years ago this fall that The Clean Air Campaign started offering commuters a financial nudge to make a change in the name of cleaner air and less traffic.  The incentive was initially only offered in metro Atlanta, and only during smog season.  Today there are more incentives that make up the Commuter Rewards program, and they are available year-round, to all Georgia commuters.

The idea for Cash for Commuters was borne out of a question we ask ourselves all the time at The Clean Air Campaign: what can we do to influence commuters to change their behavior? 

Some 82% of commuters in metro Atlanta – and 79% of commuters statewide – drive alone.  Why not pay them a nominal amount to try alternatives like carpooling, vanpooling, riding transit, bicycling or walking on their trips to and from work?  In effect, this outcome is designed to pay commuters to break an existing habit just as much as it is to acquire a new one. 

These became the cornerstone principles of the Cash for Commuters program:

1. If the drive-alone skeptics could experience the benefits of not being behind the wheel over the course of a trial period – and come to appreciate those benefits – the money would be a great investment.  Data shows 74 percent of participants are still using alternatives to the solo drive 18-24 months after their participation in the Cash for Commuters program ends.
2. Applying the old adage that it takes about 30 days to form or break a habit, the trial period needed to be long enough for commuters to see the difference in their household budgets and their stress levels. 
3. Documenting commute activity during program participation could show commuters and employers alike the difference they make, expressed in terms of vehicle miles not traveled, air pollution not emitted and financial savings on commute costs.  Each workday, the commuters who take part in this and other Clean Air Campaign programs help eliminate 1.4 million vehicle miles of travel and keep 700 tons of pollution out of the air we all breathe, while saving $658,000 on commute costs.  

While the Cash for Commuters program rewards those who switch with $3 a day, up to a $100 maximum payout, the experience shows it’s not just about the money.  That’s why other regions around the U.S. became interested in creating similar programs.  The experience here in Georgia also has shown that commuters know where to turn for relief when gas prices jump.  There has often been a strong correlation between participation in the Cash for Commuters program and the price at the pump.  After Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf in 2005 and fuel supply lines were crippled, gas price increases drove more Georgia commuters to change their behavior.  And in 2008, the run-up to $4-a-gallon gas had commuters beating down the door to get relief. 

In all seasons and in all circumstances, Georgia commuters share a common trait: seeking ways to make better use of their time and money.  Cash for Commuters, in its ten-year history, has helped thousands of people cross over to the greener pastures of alternative commuting.  Discovering the myriad benefits – for their wallets and their well-being – is what keeps them there.