A major hurdle for employees considering use of more sustainable commute methods is concern about the possibility of being stranded at work when illness or emergencies arise. GRH takes those worries away as the free service may be used to get home due to personal illness, a sick child, and for family emergencies. GRH can also be used for unscheduled overtime, when an employer mandates that an employee must stay late. Commuters may use the free GRH benefit for up to six free trips each year.

Of the 633 surveys sent to GRH participants, eight percent were completed, with the vast majority (94 percent) of respondents pleased with the overall service, giving either excellent or good ratings. Since 1997, the GRH program has been providing free rides to commuters when they need it most. GRH is available for those who work in the Washington DC and Baltimore regions (including Southern Maryland).

In addition to measuring program satisfaction, the survey also provides a forum for open-ended comments. In fact, 65 percent of respondents shared personal stories about how GRH helped them during their emergency or simply expressed gratitude. Some respondents explicitly credited GRH as the reason they started to use an alternative commute method, demonstrating that GRH serves as a security blanket and catalyst for more sustainable ways of commuting.

To read the full report visit commuterconnections.org/news/publications. For more information about Guaranteed Ride Home and for free employee registration visit commuterconnections.org/programs-and-incentives/guaranteed-ride-home.

Commuter Connections is a regional network of transportation organizations coordinated by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). For more than 50 years, this network has offered free services to both employers and employees.

“From carpool ridematching to bring together people with similar commutes, to the Guaranteed Ride Home program—which provides commuters with a free ride home in the event of personal illness, emergencies, or unscheduled overtime—Commuter Connections is focused on helping workers in the region make smart choices to fit their lifestyle,” said Commuter Connections Director Daniel Sheehan.

Commuter Connections also works directly with employers to incentivize their employees to take carpools, vanpools, transit, bicycling, and walking to get to work, helping reduce metropolitan Washington’s congested roads and reducing auto pollution.

If you are an employer who wants to promote sustainable commuting to your employees, register your company for the goDMV Commuter Competition. It is a great way to motivate employees to get to work on time and foster healthy competition within the team. The competition starts on March 3 and continues through May 31, 2025. To learn more about the goDMV Commuter Competition visit: goDMV.org.

Some of the staple programs that Commuter Connections offers include:

‘Pool Rewards

‘Pool Rewards pays cash to commuters to carpool. Commuters register their new carpools with Commuter Connections, and when approved, carpoolers can earn up to $320 over 90 days, while vanpools of at least seven people can qualify for a $200 recurring monthly subsidy. Various employers also offer employees up to $325 each month to cover vanpool expenses.

Guaranteed Ride Home

In case of an emergency, Guaranteed Ride Home from Commuter Connections has your back. It provides commuters who regularly (two or more days per week) carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, or take transit to work with a free and reliable ride home. Commuters may take advantage of Guaranteed Ride Home for up to six times per year for personal illness, a sick child, or other emergencies that may arise. It can even be used for unscheduled overtime when your employer asks you to stay a bit later.

CommuterCash

By the end of this February, CommuterCash, the revamped mobile app previously known as incenTrip, will engage commuters by encouraging them to choose alternatives to driving alone through gamification and financial rewards and helping them find better travel options. Use the app to explore carpooling, transit, biking, or a combination of travel options. Track your commute trip into the CommuterCash app and earn points that can be redeemed for cash, Visa cards, Capital Bikeshare credits, or fare onto Metro’s SmarTrip cards. Commuters traveling into the Washington, DC area or anywhere within Maryland can earn up to $10 cash after completing just 10 trips – or save your points to earn $50. Up to $600 can be earned per calendar year. Earn cash while you commute with CommuterCash!

As more workers return to the office, CommuterCash can help you find the best way to avoid the stress of fighting traffic along with reducing wear and tear mileage on your vehicle and the cost of gas. Plus, it’s better for the environment. It is a win-win for commuters and for the metropolitan Washington region.

This article was originally featured in the TPB News publication of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

In 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that employers can provide up to $325 in qualified transportation fringe benefits tax-free to employees using transit or qualified vanpools to get to and from work. This is an increase of $10 from the 2024 transit benefit amount.

SmartBenefits^® is Metro’s IRS-compliant commuter benefits program where employers can fund the benefit tax-free, up to the IRS limit. Employers can fund transit fares, or employees can pay the fare themselves through a tax-free payroll deduction. A combination of the two funding methods can be used as well.

Signing up for the SmartBenefits^® service is free for employers to administer, and the tax savings are undeniable. For more information, visit SmartBenefits^® .