Can Guaranteed Ride Home cure your anxiety?

Guy Henderson

The answer is yes, if you’re worried about making your way home in the middle of the day or late at night when something unexpected happens at work – a personal illness, family emergency or unscheduled overtime.

Here’s why. If you use virtually any mode of transportation other than your car or motorcycle to get to work, Guaranteed Ride Home will arrange for a free taxi, transit ride or even a free rental car up to four times a year. So now you don’t have to depend on somebody else’s transportation schedule to get where you need to go. 

Feeling better already? We thought you might.

This is a pretty amazing service, and a good example of the kind of commitment to smart commuting supported by the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Transit Administration and about 30 other members of the National Capital Region Planning Commission.   

The idea sprang from the recognition that being “stuck at work” if the unexpected happens was a major concern of commuters who rely on public transportation. Research showed that this uncertainty was the reason many commuters continued to drive even when they had public transit options available that were far less costly.

Now in addition to the potential to save up to $10,000 a year by not driving to work, you have an even more compelling reason to give up your car, at least for your daily commute. You don’t even have to use public transit currently to be eligible for your Guaranteed Ride Home. If you ride in a carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or yes, take public transportation at least twice weekly, you’re eligible to sign up. (And even if you don’t sign up ahead of time, there’s an emergency provision for first-time-only users to get that ride home as well.)

Guaranteed Ride Home is available Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It’s easy to sign up, and you can register any time at www.commuterconnections.org or by calling 1-800-745-7433 during business hours. So now you have more reasons than ever to get out of that car – and stop worrying already!