VTA program helps those in a pinch VTA program helps those in a pinch (November 19, 2004)

Pilot program would provide emergency taxi rides

By Tony Burchyns

Getting from point A to point B in an emergency -- without your own car -- just got a bit easier.

The Valley Transit Authority launched a pilot program in September that gives employers a line of credit to hire taxis for workers who don't drive cars and may need to leave work in an urgent situation. The public transportation district hopes the program promotes ridesharing in Santa Clara County.

VTA officials said the program -- called the Emergency Ride Home Pilot Program -- costs next to nothing to run, requires no upfront fee from participating employers and provides peace of mind for commuters who don't drive their own cars to work.

Here's how it works: In the event of an emergency, participating employers call a hotline VTA has set up, and VTA contacts Yellow Checker Cab for the requested ride. When the cab arrives, the fare is considered "pre-paid." After a period of time, employers pay VTA back for the cost of any trips taken by their own employees plus a nominal fee, according to VTA.

"If 'Debbie' gets sick and needs a ride to the hospital, her employer doesn't have to worry about using petty cash" to pay for it, said Lupe Solis, a spokesperson for VTA, which operates buses and light rail services and plans congestion management solutions in the county.

Solis said VTA research shows the fear of being stranded should an emergency arise has been a primary reason cited by commuters for driving their own cars. The new program is an effort to increase vanpooling and carpooling, as well as other modes of alternative transportation, such as walking, biking or riding mass transit lines.

Mountain View Mayor Matt Pear said on Sunday, when informed of the pilot program, that it would have a limited impact because employers would likely prefer to handle their own emergency transportation policies.

"I think they'd opt for their own, because it's not a major infrastructure that has to be put in place. It's just a contract with a taxi company," Pear said.

Expressing a different view, a top-ranking official responsible for managing transportation for 10 companies in Sunnyvale said the new initiative makes it easy for companies to look out for their employees' transportation needs without having to fret about extending administrative responsibilities.

"It's definitely a win-win situation," said Jennifer Paedon, executive director of the Moffett Park Business and Transportation Association in Sunnyvale. "I believe companies who don't have (an emergency ride home program) are reluctant to put one in place because they think it's expensive."

VTA has offered a similar program since 1996 for companies enrolled in the Eco Pass Program, through which employers purchase annual bus and light rail passes for full-time employees on a sliding scale.

The recent extension of the emergency-ride-home accessory of the Eco Pass Program was simplified by the fact that VTA already had established a relationship with a local cab company, Solis said.

The pilot program will be administered for 12 months at which point VTA directors will evaluate its effectiveness in promoting ridesharing.
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