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Flextime Rewards Program

Earn cash for flexing your trips!

The Flextime Rewards program will pay registered commuters an $8 incentive each time they avoid notoriously congested corridors in the Washington D.C. region. It’s a simple way to reward commuters that have flextime available through their employers to help reduce traffic congestion during peak hour travel periods.

How does it work? It’s easy! First, check to see if your employer allows for flextime, then become a Commuter Connections member in the incenTrip mobile application. Once logged in to your account, navigate to the “Programs’ tab in the bottom menu and opt into the program.

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Eligible Corridors

When joining the program, you will be asked to select an eligible corridor that is part of your commute. Corridors currently eligible for the Commuter Connections Flextime Rewards cash incentive include:

  • I-95 North and South at VA-123/Exit 160
  • BW Parkway North at Powder Mill Road
  • US-301 South at McKendree Road/Cedarville Road
  • I-495 Inner Loop at the I-270 spur
  • DC-295 heading southbound at East Capitol Street

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is also currently offering rewards for the following corridors:

  • I-695 IL between I-95 and MD-122
  • I-695 OL between I-795 and Edmondson Ave
  • I-95 NB between MD-100 and MD-32.

A map displaying these Flextime Rewards cash-corridors can be found in the accordion section below.

Don’t see the corridor you use for your daily commute? You can still sign up to receive daily congestion notifications to avoid wasting time sitting in traffic.

Once your registration is complete, you will begin to receive email notifications and incenTrip app notifications if higher-than-average traffic congestion is projected along your commute corridor(s). These emails contain suggested alternative departure times that may help you avoid the full brunt of the traffic jam. Those that use the defined Flextime Rewards cash-eligible corridors will receive the program incentive once a trip is logged.

If you decide to delay your trip, you’ll need to record your flextrip in the incenTrip mobile app. Simply login to your incenTrip and accept the purple Flextrip option. The app will passively record your trip when you start traveling and shut off automatically when you’ve reached your destination. If your trip takes place on a cash-eligible corridor, congratulations – you just earned enough points for $8!

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Commuter Connections Flextime Rewards Program (the “Program”) is to encourage commuters to take advantage of flexible work schedules offered by their employer. By doing so, commuters will avoid increasing peak-period congestion during major incidents or higher-than-average traffic days along selected corridors.

The Program is for commuters in the Washington, DC region who work for employers that permit the flexibility to stagger arrival and departure times from work on any given day, based on traffic conditions.

A collaboration between the University of Maryland and Commuter Connections, it helps commuters avoid sitting in heavier-than-usual traffic. The FlexTime program helps lower stress by removing the unpredictability of commuting by car in the DC region.

  • It’s free to sign up and use.
  • Commuters indicate which routes they take to and from work.
  • An alert is sent to the commuter when particularly heavy traffic congestion occurs along their route, during peak morning or afternoon periods.
  • On such days, the commuter may elect to delay travel until after peak hours, thus avoiding excessive time spent in traffic.
  • Peak hours are Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • To participate, sign up for a free account with Commuter Connections, then apply for the free Program.
Image of Congestion

FlexTime Rewards

Bonus for Bottlenecks! We’ve identified the four corridors below, notoriously known for becoming overly congested at times, on any given day. Commuters will be eligible for $8-per trip, $16 per day ($600 cap on all incentive payments) who would otherwise travel through one or more of the eligible corridors during peak times, and after receiving a notification, elects to delay their trip outside of the peak time frames.

  • I-95 North and South at VA-123/Exit 160
  • BW Parkway North at Powder Mill Road
  • US-301 South at McKendree Road/Cedarville Road
  • I-495 Inner Loop at the I-270 spur
  • DC-295 heading southbound at East Capitol Street

To become eligible for incentive payments, participants must sign up for a free account with Commuter Connections, then apply for free Program to start receiving alerts and log their off-peak commute.

Rules of Eligibility

  1. A commuter must download the incenTrip or Commuter Connections mobile application to participate in the Program is a “User”.
  2. User must be commuting to and from work to qualify for the Program. Students traveling to school are not eligible.
  3. User must currently be commuting during the peak period, i.e., non-holiday, weekday between 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 4:00-7:00 p.m. to qualify for the Program.
  4. User must commute to work an average of two (2) or more weekdays, i.e., Monday through Friday, for the entire duration of the Program to qualify. Commutes on the weekend do not qualify. User must indicate which days of the week he/she travels to and from work.
  5. User must officially register with Commuter Connections and submit a completed Flextime Incentive Application, which includes, but is not limited to, User’s name, address, phone number and the name, address and phone number of User’s employer, and User’s agreement that Commuter Connections may contact the employer to verify information. Existing Commuter Connections members may opt into the Program once they meet all requirements.
  6. User must not be teleworking an average of more than three (3) days per week during his/her participation.
  7. User must be using one of the following corridors for his/her commute:
    1. I-95 North and South at VA-123/Exit 160
    2. BW Parkway North at Powder Mill Road
    3. US-301 South at McKendree Road/Cedarville Road
    4. I-495 Inner Loop at the I-270 spur
    5. DC-295 heading southbound at East Capitol Street

Participation Requirements

  1. Commuter Connections maintains the right to terminate the Program with or without notice at any time and for any reason.
  2. If accepted into the Program, User must provide a valid email address and/or download the Commuter Connections mobile app in order to receive a notification for participation.
  3. In order to be eligible for incentives, User must utilize the “Start Flextime Trip” real-time logging feature within the incenTrip or Commuter Connections mobile application. If a User does not have a SmartPhone and cannot use the incenTrip or Commuter Connections mobile application, he/she may contact Commuter Connections at 1-800-745-RIDE to request trip logging assistance from a program administrator.
  4. Incentive payments are made upon request by User through the incenTrip rewards store.
  5. Financial incentives offered may come in the form of direct payment, transportation credits, gift certificates/cards or debit cards.
  6. All information supplied by the User must be accurate. Commuter Connections reserves the right to refuse User’s application and/or discontinue his/her participation in this Program, including the right to withhold payment of his/her incentive, if Commuter Connections/COG believes the User has failed to meet all obligations. Commuter Connections reserves the right to contact the User and his/her employer to verify the information provided. The User’s supervisor must verify (to the best of his/her knowledge) the hours in which the User’s schedule is flexible.
  7. The User’s accurate and prompt responses to evaluation surveys may be necessary for determining the value of the Program.
  8. Space in the Program may be limited. Commuter Connections reserves the right to reject any application if the Program capacity is met, even if the applicant qualifies for the Program. Applicants are not officially enrolled in the Program until they receive notification from Commuter Connections.
  9. If a dispute arises regarding any aspect of the Program, including, but not limited to, interpretation of the Program Requirements or Participation Requirements, accuracy of the information provided by the User or the User’s eligibility to participate in the Program, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments/Commuter Connections shall be the final decision-maker regarding such a dispute. Any decisions will be final.

Terms of Use

  1. As a condition of participation, User must provide correct, current, and complete information.
  2. User must provide a valid home/mailing address. All materials will be sent to this address.
  3. User must provide a valid email address and/or downloaded the incenTrip or Commuter Connections app in order to receive notification to participate in the Program.
  4. User must provide valid contact information for his/her supervisor at place of employment.
  5. Commuter Connections reserves the right to contact the User and/or the User’s employer to verify his/her participation in the Program and/or his/her commute behavior.
  6. The information provided by the User will be used by Commuter Connections to facilitate his/her participation in the Program.
  7. The incentives offered through the Program are provided to applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis and that Commuter Connections has the right to terminate this Program at any time without notice.
  8. If a dispute arises regarding any aspect of the Program, including, but not limited to, interpretation of the Program Requirements, accuracy of the information the User provides, or the User’s eligibility to participate, Commuter Connections shall be the final decision-maker regarding such disputes. Any decision will be final and binding on the User’s status as a User in the Program.
  9. Any incentive payments received by User from Commuter Connections are subject to federal and state income taxes. The User is solely responsible for any liability that may result from such incentive payments.
  10. Commuter Connections reserves its rights to pursue any penalties and remedies to the fullest extent of the law against a User who knowingly provides false misleading information, knowingly receives public funds fraudulently, and/or knowingly abuses the use of public funds.
  11. Commuter Connections reserves the right to refuse User’s application, discontinue User’s participation in the Program, and/or withhold incentive payment(s) if the User fails to abide by the Program Requirements, including the Terms of Use.
  12. By participating in the Program, User acknowledges that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to the Program Requirements, including, but not limited to, the Terms of Use governing the Program and certifies that he/she is eligible to participate and receive the incentives provided by Commuter Connections.
  13. By providing information on this application, User understands that such information may be used by Commuter Connections or a third party to contact User regarding his/her interest in additional financial incentives, additional programs or services, or for information related to his/her experience using alternative modes of transportation. If User does not wish to be contacted for these reasons, they can indicate so by checking a box when filling out the Flextime Rewards program application.