Incentive-based strategies for modern transportation policy

Having commuting and travel options is essential to creating socially vibrant, economically healthy, and thriving places. Copenhagen has seen significant success in incentivizing healthy habits by creatively investing in transportation options, a strategy that cities across the U.S. can learn from. We can only reach this point if we invest in options outside of the car. People deserve the freedom to choose their mode of travel.

Transit as a public good

For decades the federal government has poured billions of dollars into highways, creating a transportation system that fails to prioritize people outside of personal cars. Now is the time to invest in transit and create a complete transportation network, one that is accessible and effective for all road users.

Beyond reducing car trips, public transportation helps achieve better outcomes. Not only is public transit safer—ten times safer per mile than traveling by car—but it’s also affordable, reduces emissions, and supports mental health. The increase in pedestrian fatalities highlights the urgent need for safer, more accessible multimodal networks. Transportation policy needs to prioritize investments in public transit and active transportation options. Doing so means more than reducing car trips—it means creating communities where students can reliably get to school, seniors can maintain independence, and families have real access to opportunity. Effective transportation policy must reflect these realities, treating public transit not just as a service, but as a lifeline critical to public safety, health, and equity.

Even locations with relatively successful multimodal systems can improve. Drawing inspiration from local and global programs can lead to more creative, safer, and efficient systems. CopenPay, a program of Wonderful Copenhagen, is one such program.

Copenhagen attractions reward thoughtful actions: The CopenPay model

Wonderful Copenhagen, the official tourism organization of Copenhagen, Denmark, launched CopenPay to encourage tourists to engage in climate-friendly activities while visiting the city, rewarding behaviors that benefit the environment and local community. While some activities focus on community service and volunteering, the majority target making sustainable transportation choices such as biking and public transportation. This focus is deliberate: transportation accounts for nearly half of global tourism’s carbon footprint and Copenhagen is consistently a top tourist destination. By taking trains over planes, extending stays, or opting for biking, walking, and public transit, visitors are rewarded with perks like free bike rentals, coffee, meals, or entry into the city’s world-class museums.

CopenPay offers a compelling model for encouraging travel options outside of cars and sustainable tourism. After a successful 2024 pilot that engaged over 5,000 participants and 26 local partners—from museums to cafes—the program saw impressive results: 1,200 kg of trash collected, an overall 29 percent increase in bike rentals, and a 98 percent participant recommendation rate. These outcomes led to an expanded program in 2025, which tripled in size with more than 100 local partners and extended its run by five weeks during the summer months. This success demonstrates a powerful truth: people will change their behavior to benefit their community, the climate, and themselves when the incentives are meaningful enough.

Visit Copenhagen Signage on Copenhagen Metro. Source: Mark Tanggaard.

CopenPay’s success offers a powerful model, not just for major tourist destinations, but for communities of all sizes across the country. It shows us the value of cross-sector collaboration, meaningful community connections, and providing real incentives that motivate people to adopt healthier, more sustainable habits. While designed with tourists in mind, CopenPay’s core principles can be applied anywhere.

Incentive-based strategies in the U.S.

Cities across the United States have commuter benefit policies to incentivize the use of public transportation. San Francisco requires larger companies to offer commuter benefits to reduce transit and parking expenses. Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York City, and Seattle have similar ordinances. Individual incentives and laws are helpful, but their impact is limited. Expanding these efforts to a city- or region-wide scale can unify fragmented initiatives, foster a stronger sense of community, and encourage collaboration across multiple sectors. Programs like CommutePA in Pennsylvania and Commuter Connections in the DC metropolitan area demonstrate how local approaches, when scaled up, can drive meaningful, widespread change.

CommutePA is a program of the Susquehanna Regional Transportation Partnership (SRTP), serving a nine-county region of over 1.2 million commuters. It encourages transportation options by offering rewards for carpooling, public transit, biking, and walking. Participants can redeem their rewards at a variety of local dining, entertainment, and shopping options, making the program both practical and appealing. Between 2006 and 2017 over 27,000 commuters joined the program, and it cntinues to grow. Today, more than 160 employers offer commuter benefits and 120 community partners promote sustainable commuting options. Creating incentives and transit-based challenges–CommutePA has proven successful. It also proves that collaboration leads to success. Funded by the FHWA and PennDOT, it is strengthened by collaboration between seven MPOs, seven chambers, and four transit agencies.

Highlighted in green are the counties that are included in the CommutePA program. Source: Commute PA.

Commuter Connections, run by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, is a regional network of transportation organizations funded by the DC, Maryland, and Virginia Departments of Transportation. It aims to assist employers and commuters in making healthy commuting choices. Their ridesharing program connects 20,000 commuters to one another living and working in similar areas, promoting carpooling services, emissions reductions, and social connection. Commuter Connections also offers incentive programs to encourage regular commuting. CommuterCash and the Pool Rewards Program reward commuters with cash for using transit during peak-hours and carpooling. Meanwhile, the goDMV Commuter Competition is a two-month contest where participants can win prizes from hotel gift cards to bike tune-ups. 2025 saw 1,205 participants total over 36,000 trips, saving commuters $272,091, while reducing vehicle miles traveled by over 425,000 and CO2 emissions by 154 tons. The results are overwhelming. When mobility is married with incentives, people respond.

Looking ahead

Multimodal transportation creates more connected, socially vibrant and healthy communities. Whether in major cities or smaller regions, these programs demonstrate what’s possible.

Our current federal transportation system is outdated. We’ve poured billions into a failing highway system, and wonder why transit is suffering. There are too many pedestrian deaths, massive costs to all levels of government and the American people, and emissions harming our present and future. Investments partnered with incentives works, now we need leaders to embrace this approach and invest in the future of mobility.