"If you're already in a carpool, that's lovely and we appreciate it, but this is more for people to get into a carpool," said Heather McColl, executive director of ARTMA.

She also said many employers offer transit subsidies for commuters who use public transportation.

But "a lot of people who are in a carpool aren't eligible for those funds, or are going to locations not served by bus or rail," she said. "This just might be that little bit of encouragement that they need. Once people try (carpooling) they're usually a user for life."

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is behind the Commuter Connections program, whose goal is to improve traffic flow and decrease air pollution. There are 18,000 commuters in the effort, which includes most of Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The Pool Rewards money is available for commuters who live in the Baltimore region, which includes Anne Arundel County, and are heading into the Washington, D.C., region, which extends as far as Fairfax, Va. County residents who travel into Baltimore are not eligible for the financial incentive.

To get the cash, the participants will have to regularly report their travel time through an online system. The financial incentives have a cap of $130.

Pool Rewards was previously offered in Atlanta, where it drew more than 29,000 commuters after five years. Once the cash incentive ended, 64 percent of the participants continued to use their carpools at least once a week.

"We are always looking for new ways to get people in the D.C. area to carpool," Commuter Connections director Nicholas Ramfos said in a release. "Cash incentives have helped recruit new carpoolers in other areas, and we hope Pool Rewards can replicate some of that success."

For more information, call ARTMA at 410-897-9340 or visit www.commuterconnections.org.