FDOT To Pay You To Carpool, But Only If You Qualify
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Want to earn some extra cash? Why not trying carpooling. The Florida Department of Transportation wants to pay you to carpool in order to alleviate congestion on State Road 826 and State Road 836.
For the first time ever, the FDOT is offering a cash incentive to commuters impacted by construction at the SR 826/836 interchange. The incentive is available to commuters who carpool, vanpool or use mass transit.
"The construction project on the SR 826/836 interchange is expected to last several years and impact travel in the corridor," said Jim Udvardy, Project Manager of South Florida Commuter Services, a program of FDOT. "In order to make the commute more productive on the Palmetto and Dolphin we are offering an incentive to help remove single occupancy vehicles from the road to alleviate congestion."
In order to qualify, commuters must travel within the so-called "incentive zone" located within the project area. The "incentive zone includes: West Boundary (NW 87th Avenue), East Boundary (NW 57th Avenue), South Boundary (SW 8th Street), & North Boundary (NW 25th Street).
The more people in the carpool, the more you get paid.
Two carpoolers receive $25 a month per carpooler; three carpoolers receive $50 a month per carpooler; and four or more carpoolers receive $75 a month per carpooler.
Metrorail Riders that use the Palmetto Metrorail station will receive a monthly $10 reward card and preferential parking (available on a first come first serve basis).
Vanpools, made up of 5 to 15 people who commute together in a passenger van provided by South Florida Vanpools (SFVP) also qualify for the incentive program. The Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization provides SFVP groups with a $400 subsidy towards the monthly lease of the van. In addition, the SR 826/836 incentive program provides subsidies to qualified SFVP groups for one year, which will not exceed 50% of the monthly cost charged to the vanpool riders. This includes groups which receive additional vanpool incentives through their respective employers.
Registered commuters may also receive free membership to the WeCar program, a car sharing program that allows commuters to rent a vehicle on a short-term basis. The incentive program provides 10 hours of free WeCar usage with a waived annual registration fee. Initially three vehicles will be located in the Downtown Miami, Civic Center and Brickell.
Additionally, commuters registered in the SR 826/836 incentive program are automatically enrolled in the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program. In the event of an unexpected emergency, the program provides free taxi service for registered commuters, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To register, or for more information on the SR 826/836 incentive program, call 1-800-234-RIDE or visit www.1800234RIDE.com/826-836project.
