Some Texas car owners could be paid thousands to get their old vehicles off the roads.

It's part of a statewide program to curb pollution in major Texas cities.

The expanded, voluntary state program will soon offer low and middle income car owners up to $3,000 to to trade-in pre-1996 vehicles for models made 2006 or later.

A $3,500 rebate is available for those who opt to buy hybrid vehicles.

Iris Velasquez drives a 1991 Pontiac Grand-Am, which runs well, but likely pollutes more than newer cars. She says the rebate is a huge incentive.

"I'm willing to trade it in for something new," she said.

The Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club supported this measure when it first went into effect in 2001, and the 2007 expansion that makes a lot more money available for rebates.

Major Texas cities like Dallas and Houston have pollution that already exceeds federal clean air standards, and Austin and San Antonio are getting close.

"That means that during some summer days the air may not be safe to breathe, particularly for small children, the elderly and people with asthma. So one of the ways we can meet those standards is by driving less and driving cleaner cars," said the Sierra Club's Cyrus Reed.

To qualify, vehicles must have passed a state inspection within the last 15 months, and the owner's annual income cannot exceed $30,600.

Details about the expanded program are still being worked out, but it is expected to begin by December of this year.