Emergency Ride Home

Emergency Ride Home (ERH)

If you’re a Hoosier Commuter Club member, use a university rideshare, or have a EM-V, or Motorcycle (sticker only) permit, you may qualify for a free ride home in the event of a personal emergency up to three times a semester or six times annually. ERH is available for when you have used a sustainable mode on the day in question and experience a personal emergency.

For example:

  • You or an immediate family member gets sick, or has a severe emergency
  • Your carpool driver has to unexpectedly leave work early or stay late
  • You must work additional or unexpected hours
  • Your carpool or vanpool vehicle experiences mechanical problems

How ERH works

In the case of an emergency during your scheduled work hours, qualifying employees may utilize a ride hailing service such as Uber, Lyft, or a taxi service to get home in situations like those described above.

With some exceptions which are approved on a case-by-case basis, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) will reimburse the taxi or ride hail fare for the first 50 miles of your trip home. If you need to make a stop on the way home, that's okay. You are permitted one side trip during your drive home, such as to fill a prescription or pick up a child from school.

However, there are certain restrictions that apply:

  • You may share the ride with another passenger. If the other passenger is also eligible for the ERH program, they must complete a separate reimbursement request. If the other passenger is not eligible for the ERH program, they must pay their own fare.
  • If you choose to leave a tip for the driver, it will not be reimbursed.

Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 60 days of your ERH, and you must provide a receipt.

If you have questions about the ERH program, email commute@iu.edu.