Emergency Ride Home

The purpose of the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program is to ensure that the commuter who carpools, rides public transit, bicycles, or walks to work doesn’t get stuck at work when the unexpected happens. Some limitations apply.

ERH Eligibility

ERH is available to commuters who:

• Use “alternative transportation” (carpool, public transit, bicycle, walk) on their commute at least two round trips per week (or four one-way trips per week).
• Work for a company or organization that has contributed funds to the Coastal Commuters ERH program. Currently employers that have contributed are: St. Joseph's/Candler Health System, Inc. and Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission.

ERH Rules

• A qualifying emergency occurs when:
  • You are sick at work;
  • A member of your family has an emergency while you are at work;
  • You are required to work late unexpectedly;
  • Your carpool driver has an emergency and cannot give you a ride home or to your car;
• Eligible commuters are allowed six (6) emergency vouchers per calendar year.
• Each voucher will cover up to $60 of the cost of the taxi trip. Any cost beyond $60 must be paid out of pocket at the time of the trip.
• One stop of 15 minutes maximum is allowed during the emergency trip, such as at a child’s school or the pharmacy.
• The ERH voucher is to be used to get you from work to home or to your car. You may not use it for your trip to work.

How to Use ERH

To be able to access an ERH voucher, you must:

• Log your alternative transportation commute trips online in the ride-matching system accessed from this site. If you establish a carpool through the ride-matching system, then your recurring commute will be automatically logged in the system.
• At the time of the qualifying emergency, log in to the ride-matching site and:
  1. Click the “My Communities” tab.
  2. Under the “My Networks” heading on this page, click the “Benefits button” that appears to the right of your organization name (If your employer or organization is not listed, then you are not eligible for ERH).
  3. Click the “Emergency Ride Home” link. (If your employer or organization has not contributed funds for the Emergency Ride Home program, you will not be eligible.)
  4. Fill in the required fields on the screen and click “Submit Claim.”
  5. Click the "Print ERH voucher" link on this screen and print the voucher form.
  6. Call one of the cooperating taxi companies listed on the Taxi List for ERH and tell them you will be using a Coastal Commuters ERH voucher; 
  7. Sign the voucher, give it to the voucher to the cab driver and show a photo ID.
  8. Ask the cab driver to fill in the trip distance and cost on the voucher and to also sign the voucher.

When you have used all six of your allowed vouchers in one calendar year, you will no longer be able to access the voucher through the ride-matching system.

If, during the course of your work, you are frequently away from any computer with internet access or access to a printer, please determine, before an emergency arises, whether a supervisor, your human resources department, or another co-worker can access the web site and printer for you.

 

Participation in Coastal Commuters programs, such as by carpooling, riding the bus, biking, or walking to or from work, and use of the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program is an individual decision. Participants are completely responsible for the operation of carpools and participation in any Coastal Commuters program. COASTAL COMMUTERS, THE CHATHAM COUNTY-SAVANNAH METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION, AND EMPLOYERS ACTING AS ITS PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS SHALL HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIMS, EXPENSES, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL'S PARTICIPATION IN A CARPOOL OR ERH PROGRAM OR FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL’S DECISION TO RIDE THE BUS, BICYCLE, OR WALK.