Sign up for the
Alameda Guaranteed Ride Home Program!
Insurance for your Commute
The Alameda County Guaranteed Ride Home Program does just what it says: guarantees you a free ride home from work when you have an emergency and you have made the effort to avoid commuting alone in your car. You can feel comfortable taking the bus, train, or ferry, carpooling, vanpooling, walking, or bicycling to work, knowing that you will have a ride home in the case of a qualifying unexpected circumstance that disrupts your commute home.
All Guaranteed Ride Home participants must be registered before using the program.
For Employers
The Guaranteed Ride Home program is a free transportation benefit you can promote to your employees who get to and from work by a means other than driving alone, whether it's in an employer-provided shuttle, a carpool or vanpool, by transit, bicycling, or walking. Employers are not required to register in order for their employees to enroll, but we encourage promoting the program to full-time and permanent part-time staff. Interested employees can register on their own at any time.
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What modes of transportation are approved for reimbursement in use of the GRH program? ?Guaranteed rides home taken by taxi, rental car, car share, public transportation, or Transportation Network Companies will be considered for reimbursement by program staff.
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If I commute through an app-based carpooling service (i.e. Scoop, Carma Carpooling, Lyft Carpool, etc.) and am not matched with a driver, am I eligible for a Guaranteed Ride Home?"No. Guaranteed rides home are only eligible in emergency situations such as illness, injury, or the unanticipated break down of your usual commute vehicle. If an app-based carpooling service fails to match you with a ride to your work or home, the company that operates the carpooling service is responsible for addressing this issue.
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What about longer trips?We recommend using a rental car, car share, or public transit for trips over 20 miles to reduce the up-front cost borne by participants. Remember that fees over $125 per trip cannot be reimbursed. For more information, please click here.
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What if I don’t have enough cash on hand to pay for a taxi ride?Many taxis now accept payment by credit card. If this is not the case on your ride, you are allowed to make a special stop on your trip home to visit an ATM to pay for your ride.
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Can I still use the voucher I have from a previous year?No. As of January 1, 2015, vouchers are no longer be accepted.
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Can I use a car sharing service to provide my ride home?Yes. Rides taken using a car sharing service, such as ZipCar or City Carshare, are eligible for reimbursement. You must be a member of the car share company to rent a car through their service.
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Can I enroll in the program and use it for a ride home on the same day?We highly recommend registering if you think you might use the program in the future. This will help you become familiar with the program in advance. However, if your situation qualifies, then you may register and use the program on the same day.
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Can I use the program if there is a transit delay or strike?No. Unfortunately, the program can only be used for personal, unexpected emergencies. For a list of program restrictions, please click here.