As gas prices creep up and residents across metro Atlanta struggle to keep money in their pockets, one local group is showing drivers how to save thousands of dollars a year on gas, parking, auto insurance and car maintenance – and is even paying them to do it.

The Clean Air Campaign, a Georgia nonprofit that works to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, has been offering incentives to metro Atlanta’s commuters to get them to ditch their solo driving habits since 2002, citing that fewer cars on the road creates better air quality.

“In metro Atlanta, more than half of all smog-forming emissions come from the tailpipes of cars and trucks,” explained Kevin Green, executive director of The Clean Air Campaign. “Reducing traffic also keeps pollution out of the air, benefiting the community and the environment.”

To keep cars off the road, The Clean Air Campaign encourages carpooling, vanpooling, riding transit, walking, cycling and teleworking instead of driving to work alone. The organization created its Commuter Rewards program to get people to give these commute options a try.

Commuters who have not previously used alternatives to driving alone receive $3 a day, up to $100 over a 90-day period, for making the switch from their solo commute. Carpools of three or more can get $40-$60 gas cards every month for 12 months, and commuters who continue their alternative commuting habits are entered to win $25 gift cards every month.

More than 60,000 people have taken part in the program since its inception, and participants say that while incentives are reason enough to begin using alternatives, the resulting benefits are motivation to continue.

According to a recent survey prepared by the Center for Transportation and the Environment on behalf of the Georgia Department of Transportation, 74 percent of participants continue their use of “clean” commute alternatives 18 to 24 months after completing the program, when the cash incentive is no longer available to them.

“We offer financial incentives to encourage commuters to try alternatives to driving alone and see how they like it,’ said Green. “It’s truly a successful effort when the result is long-term adoption of clean commute alternatives.”

To register for Commuter Rewards visit CleanAirCampaign.org.