During the competition, commuters logged their trips for a chance to win prizes and other incentives as they climbed the leaderboard. The competition was free to take part in for both employers and employees.

A total of 41 employers took part in the competition, with the top winners being The World Bank, American Public Transportation Association, and Loudoun County Government, each winning a catered recognition luncheon.

More than 1,200 individuals participated in the competition logging 36,000 trips using sustainable travel methods and reducing 425,000 single occupant vehicle miles.

The grand prize for individual participants was a choice between a staycation at the Pendry Hotel or $500 in CommuterCash points. The points are redeemable for cash rewards through PayPal, Venmo, or Visa Card, and can also be exchanged for credit towards SmartTrip, Capital Bikeshare, or Virginia E-ZPass.

Various raffle winners received prizes including Washington Nationals Diamond Club tickets, a $100 restaurant gift certificate to ANJU, $120 RideDoc bike tune-ups, and a $250 Pacers Running gift card.

Other participants who finished in the top 20 on the individual leaderboard won $100 in CommuterCash points and over 300 participants qualified for monthly bonuses earning them $25 in rewards points. The first 50 participants who entered the competition received $50 to Pizza Paradiso.

All 41 employers in the competition played a vital role to encourage employees to participate and find more rewarding ways to commute to work instead of driving alone. The goDMV Commuter Competition will be back again and the CommuterCash app is available to your employees all year-round, providing rewards for every commute trip taken using sustainable travel methods.

The goDMV Commuter Competition team would like to thank all the employers and individual participants that took part in the first of its kind competition in the DMV. Everyone who participated won something!

To promote the goDMV Commuter Competition, Commuter Connections partnered with the District (goDCgo), Maryland, and Virginia Departments of Transportation, along with local jurisdictions.

Commuter Connections is a regional network of transportation organizations coordinated by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). For more than 50 years, this network has offered free services to both employers and employees.

“From carpool ridematching to bring together people with similar commutes, to the Guaranteed Ride Home program—which provides commuters with a free ride home in the event of personal illness, emergencies, or unscheduled overtime—Commuter Connections is focused on helping workers in the region make smart choices to fit their lifestyle,” said Commuter Connections Director Daniel Sheehan.

Commuter Connections also works directly with employers to incentivize their employees to take carpools, vanpools, transit, bicycling, and walking to get to work, helping reduce metropolitan Washington’s congested roads and reducing auto pollution.

If you are an employer who wants to promote sustainable commuting to your employees, register your company for the goDMV Commuter Competition. It is a great way to motivate employees to get to work on time and foster healthy competition within the team. The competition starts on March 3 and continues through May 31, 2025. To learn more about the goDMV Commuter Competition visit: goDMV.org.

Some of the staple programs that Commuter Connections offers include:

‘Pool Rewards

‘Pool Rewards pays cash to commuters to carpool. Commuters register their new carpools with Commuter Connections, and when approved, carpoolers can earn up to $320 over 90 days, while vanpools of at least seven people can qualify for a $200 recurring monthly subsidy. Various employers also offer employees up to $325 each month to cover vanpool expenses.

Guaranteed Ride Home

In case of an emergency, Guaranteed Ride Home from Commuter Connections has your back. It provides commuters who regularly (two or more days per week) carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, or take transit to work with a free and reliable ride home. Commuters may take advantage of Guaranteed Ride Home for up to six times per year for personal illness, a sick child, or other emergencies that may arise. It can even be used for unscheduled overtime when your employer asks you to stay a bit later.

CommuterCash

By the end of this February, CommuterCash, the revamped mobile app previously known as incenTrip, will engage commuters by encouraging them to choose alternatives to driving alone through gamification and financial rewards and helping them find better travel options. Use the app to explore carpooling, transit, biking, or a combination of travel options. Track your commute trip into the CommuterCash app and earn points that can be redeemed for cash, Visa cards, Capital Bikeshare credits, or fare onto Metro’s SmarTrip cards. Commuters traveling into the Washington, DC area or anywhere within Maryland can earn up to $10 cash after completing just 10 trips – or save your points to earn $50. Up to $600 can be earned per calendar year. Earn cash while you commute with CommuterCash!

As more workers return to the office, CommuterCash can help you find the best way to avoid the stress of fighting traffic along with reducing wear and tear mileage on your vehicle and the cost of gas. Plus, it’s better for the environment. It is a win-win for commuters and for the metropolitan Washington region.

This article was originally featured in the TPB News publication of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.