Transportation Planning Board Vice Chair Kelly Russell discusses the benefits of the incenTrip app and how it helps the region achieve its transportation goals.

A new smartphone app could help our region reach its transportation goals. incenTrip is a new smartphone application that rewards residents in our region based on their transportation choices each day.

The app was a joint project between Commuter Connections and the University of Maryland. The idea is to use something called “gamification” to incentivize choosing to walk, bike, use transit, or carpool to influence commuters to choose alternatives to driving alone. Gamification uses human psychology to reward more desirable behaviors and make it fun in the process. incenTrip rewards users by awarding points when they log their trips in the app. When users choose non-driving modes, they get more points. People can also get points from choosing a less congested time to make a trip. The points can be traded for gift cards and cash prizes. The cash incentives are only available through Commuter Connections during peak hour rush periods (6:30 am – 9:30 am and/or 4:00 pm – 7:00).

Learn more about incenTrip. 

Programs that promote using alternative modes of travel are called Transportation Demand Management (TDM). TDM programs use marketing, outreach, and incentives to promote alternatives to driving alone. TDM endeavors to influence people to drop the keys for the benefit of the environment, health, and to reduce congestion.

incenTrip and other TDM programs also help our region make the TPB’s Aspirational Initiatives come to fruition. As a refresher, the Aspirational Initiatives were seven ideas that, if implemented, could help improve the region’s transportation system.

The seven initiatives are:

The TPB endorsed seven initiatives in early 2018 for inclusion in the aspirational element of Visualize 2045 and for other future concerted action. The TPB noted that these ideas, if funded and enacted, would have the potential to significantly improve the region’s transportation system performance compared to current plans and programs. (TPB)

One of the initiatives is to provide more telecommuting and other options for commuting. The purpose of this initiative is to implement programs and policies that would reduce drive alone trips, increase teleworking regionwide, increase the number of employees receiving transit and carpool subsidies, and reduce parking incentives in regional Activity Centers. In 2018, the Commuter Connections Subcommittee provided a list of recommendations that would help decrease drive alone trips.

One of those recommendations was to leverage technology. Technological advancements are creating new ways to influence behavior change. Enhancing existing apps like incenTrip and programs like Flextime Rewards, with game modules that consider behavioral economics concepts which may further encourage people to change how they get around. Technology would also generate data that would help future planning and programming.

incenTrip does exactly that. First, by logging trips in the apps, users are providing researchers and planners better data about how people in the region get around each day and how they may change how they travel. This information is valuable to better serve the region’s residents.

Additionally, incenTrip also provides prizes for commuters who make better choices each day. The app helps users decide the best way to travel when they set out or the best time to leave. The incenTrip app recommends the best travel mode, departure time, and route based on real-time traffic prediction data and user personal preferences to help commuters avoid both day-to-day congestion and traffic jams caused by accidents, work zones, special events, and adverse weather conditions. This information helps people in the region make better travel decisions.

Most importantly, incenTrip is a game! The app includes challenges that allow users to compete to see who can get the most points. It also has challenges based on events happening in the region. For example, the first incenTrip challenge is to pledge to go car free for Car Free Days.

Users can compete with each other in challenges to earn more points. (TPB)

“incenTrip helps commuters make the best travel decision, while rewarding choices that benefit the entire region,” said TPB Chairman Martin Nohe. “The app and its users will help reduce congestion, energy use, and vehicle emissions in the region.”

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy funded the incenTrip project with a $4.5 million grant. The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration also provided funding for early stages of incenTrip’s technical development.

Have you downloaded the app yet? As soon as you do, you too can start earning points, winning prizes and you may even find a new commute.

commuterconnections.org/incentrip-app/