Yes, you can get home in an emergency.
Are you afraid that leaving your car at home means you won't get home quickly if an emergency arises? Smart commuters know that carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus, biking or walking are smart ways to get to work. Now smart commuting is even smarter! If your company contracts with Pierce Transit for our Emergency Ride Home (ERH) as a part of its Commute Trip Reduction program, any day you are a smart commuter and an emergency comes up, you are eligible for a taxi ride home. And best of all, it's absolutely free!

The State Agency Free Emergency (SAFE)-Ride is available to state employees who ride the bus, drive or ride in a carpool or vanpool, walk, or bike to work. The program is funded through the State Agency Rider (STAR) Pass and State Agency Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) programs at the Department of General Administration (GA). To find out if you're eligible for this program contact your work site Employee Transportation Coordinator or the Department of General Administration at (360) 902.7318.

Am I eligible?
Emergency Ride Home is designed to provide you with needed transportation when you have a personal illness, family illness, family emergency or unexpected overtime. Please call your Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) for approval for special circumstances. Emergency Ride Home is available to all employees at eligible sites. If you use a commute alternative to work and have an emergency situation you qualify for Emergency Ride Home.

Where can I go?
You may use Emergency Ride Home to travel from your worksite to:

• Your home
• The location of your personal vehicle (e.g. park & ride lot, daycare center, carpool partner's home)
• Your ferry terminal (taxi reimbursement ends at the ferry terminal)
• Your medical provider

An intermediate stop is permitted if it is related to the nature of the emergency, such as picking up a sick child from school before going home or to the location of your car.

When can I use Emergency Ride Home?
Emergency Ride Home can be used, with ETC approval, for:

• Employee or family illness
• Your supervisor unexpectedly requests that you work late (that is, the request comes on that same day, without prior notice or knowledge)
• Unexpected change in planned ride home (e.g. your carpool driver had to leave early due to an emergency).
• Other emergency situations which occur during the workday.

General Guidelines

• Employees are allowed up to 6 trips per calendar year.
• Unlimited mileage per trip.
• Reimbursement will cover taxi fare. It does not include gratuity.

• Inappropriate use of the program may result in loss of ERH privileges.

How do we get started?
Contact Karen Henderson, Business Partnerships Specialist, to get signed up today. You'll reach her by calling 253.581.8008 or by email