Guaranteed Ride Home During an Emergency - It's On Us!
Looking to take transit, bike, or walk to work or school but worried about what you would do in an emergency? The VTA Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) Program is here for you so you can put those worries aside!
The Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program is provided by VTA to encourage commuters to use a sustainable mode of transportation to work, college, or adult education classes in Santa Clara County by providing reimbursement on the cost to get home in the event of an emergency. Participants are eligible to receive up to six reimbursements a year or $500 in total reimbursements, whichever comes first. Each qualified trip may be reimbursed up to $125.
The VTA Guaranteed Ride Home program is completely free to join and participate in. Any employer who is based in Santa Clara County is encouraged to invite their employees to participate. Employers are also encouraged to reach out to VTA staff for program information, presentation requests, and materials to distribute to their staff.
Contact:
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Email: grh@vta.org Phone: 408-321-2300 |
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Frequently asked questions:
Who is eligible for a GRH reimbursement?
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must work or attend a post-secondary school/college in Santa Clara County
- Must have used a sustainable transportation mode to get to work or school on day GRH is needed
- Must have a VTA GRH account at the GRH portal
What qualifies as a sustainable transportation mode to work or school in Santa Clara County?
- Public transportation (VTA, Bart, Caltrain, etc.)
- An employer-provided shuttle
- Carpool or vanpool
- Micro-transit
- Bicycle
- Walking
What types of emergencies are eligible for a qualified GRH trip?
- Personal or family illness, injury or emergency
- Home emergency
- Eldercare or daycare emergency
- Bicycle/e-scooter theft or breakdown
- Unforeseen change of work schedule (supervisor verification will be required)
- Carpool/shuttle partner emergency/cancellation resulted in loss of ride home
- Air quality index of 300+
What types of trips or reasons are not covered?
- Typical transit delays
- Worker strikes
- Personal errands or appointments
- Ride to work or school
- Carpool app provider cannot find a match to get the commuter home
- Non-emergency side trips
- Business-related travel
- Transportation to a doctor or hospital resulting from an on-the job injury
What mode of transportation can I use for my GRH trip?
- Taxis
- Rental cars (including insurance and tolls)
- Carshare vehicles (including insurance and tolls)
- Transportation network companies (Lyft, Uber, etc.)
- Public transportation
- Shared bicycle or e-scooter provider (micro-transit)
Fuel & gratuity is not eligible for reimbursement
How do I request a reimbursement?
VTA GRH participants may redeem a GRH reimbursement request via the GRH participant portal. Participants must complete the questionnaire provided in the reimbursement request and provide GRH trip receipt(s) and accompanying information to receive reimbursement. Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 30 days of GRH trip. Visit the GRH portal for program rules and limitations.