The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) was recognized with APTA’s Innovation Award for its Commuter Credits Pilot Program, which was launched in 2015 to focus on providing alternatives to driving alone during the peak periods on Atlanta’s congested I-85 corridor.

The Commuter Credits Pilot Program included three components:

• “Ride Transit” — The goal was to shift auto trips during the peak periods to express bus trips. The program awarded toll lane credits to people who used GRTA Xpress (pictured) or Gwinnett County Transit routes instead of utilizing their Peach Pass toll accounts during commute periods.

• “Shift Commute” — The goal was to see if heavy toll users of the I-85 HOT lanes would be willing to shift their usage away from the most congested peak hour (7 a.m. to 8 a.m.), thereby helping to reduce southbound congestion in the HOT lane on I-85. The program was by invitation only, to Peach Pass customers who commute four to five times per week during this period.

• “Start a Carpool” — The goal was to attract carpools to the Express Lanes. The program was open to carpools with at least one Peach Pass customer and offered multiple incentives.

The SRTA’s program also received the Toll Excellence Award for Customer Service and Marketing Outreach from the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Assoc. (IBTTA). While the APTA Innovation Award is specifically for the “Ride Transit” component, IBTTA’s award recognizes all three components of the pilot program.

As a result of the success of the pilot program, SRTA plans to continue the efforts as a broader program in conjunction with the opening of the Northwest Corridor tolled Express Lanes in 2018.