Regional transportation officials say they'll start paying people to carpool.
The $2-a-day offer comes from Commuter Connections, a ride-matching service run by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, according to WTOP Radio. It's the latest effort to reduce congestion on key corridors, and is debuting during an ominous time of budget cuts and financial uncertainty.
Ron Kirby, director of transportation planning with the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, says similar programs exist in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
The three-month pilot program will start in the fall and will focus on the Capital Beltway between Bethesda, Md., and Tysons Corner, Va., and between the Baltimore/Washington Parkway and Interstate 270, as well as Interstate 395 from northern Virginia into the District of Columbia.
Officials say participants will be tracked electronically.
How does it work? According to the Commuter Connections Web site, carpools can be arranged in the following ways:
- One person may drive all the time, while the passengers contribute only to the cost (e.g., gas and parking).
- Participants may alternate driving and not exchange money.
- The carpool driver may pick up passengers at their homes, or they may meet at a central location.
- Carpools can and do include family members.
