If you’ve ever wished someone would pay you to drive less, LA Metro has an offer worth checking out. Metro has officially launched Phase 2 of its One Car Challenge, a countywide program that will pay eligible Los Angeles County households up to $600 if they agree to keep at least one of their household’s cars parked at home for five weeks while using other ways to get around.
The initiative expands on a successful Santa Monica pilot and arrives as Los Angeles continues preparing for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when reducing congestion and encouraging alternative transportation will become even more important.
Here’s how the One Car Challenge works
The challenge is simple:
- Live in Los Angeles County
- Be 21 years or older
- Have at least one vehicle in your household
- Leave one household vehicle parked at home for five weeks
- Travel using alternatives like Metro, buses, trains, walking, biking, scooters, or other transportation options
In return, participating households can earn up to $600 during the program. Unlike the original pilot, one-car households are now eligible, opening participation to many more Angelenos.
A bigger version of a successful pilot
Metro first tested the concept in Fall 2023 with approximately 300 multi-car households in Santa Monica. Participants earned up to $599, along with transit and bike-share benefits, while tracking their driving through weekly odometer readings.
According to Metro, the pilot led to a noticeable reduction in solo driving, with participants choosing to walk, bike, and use transit more frequently throughout the five-week challenge. Now, Metro is scaling the program to approximately 2,000 households across Los Angeles County to gather more comprehensive data on how financial incentives can influence travel habits.
Why Metro is doing this
The expanded program is designed to help Metro better understand whether incentives can reduce vehicle miles traveled and ease traffic congestion across Los Angeles. The challenge is also part of the city’s broader preparations for the 2028 Olympics, when officials will be looking for proven ways to move millions of residents and visitors efficiently without adding more cars to already congested streets.
Participants will use the GoCarma mobile app, which automatically records travel activity and odometer readings throughout the challenge, eliminating the need for manual trip logs or paper reporting.
Applications for the One Car Challenge Phase 2 are now open. Eligible Los Angeles County residents can sign up through Metro’s One Car Challenge webpage. Metro expects approximately 2,000 households to participate in this latest phase of the program. If you’re already planning to bike more, take the train, or leave the car at home this summer, you could get paid for making the switch.
