Participant eligibility and restrictions are subject to change at any point in the pilot phase of the project. Changes to participant eligibility or program restrictions are at the discretion of VTA and the result of analysis done on project performance indicators such as cost, participant demand, or public feedback. Changes in scope, new transit options, or staff discretion may also affect participant eligibility or program restrictions.
To be qualified for a reimbursement, the participant must meet the following conditions:
1. Participant must be pre-registered for the GRH Program prior to seeking a reimbursement.
2. The participant must have used a sustainable transportation mode to get to work. Sustainable modes of transportation include:
a. Public Transportation including:
i. VTA
ii. ACE
iii. AC Transit
iv. Amtrak
v. BART
vi. Caltrain
vii. Monterey-Salinas Transit
viii. MV Go
ix. MV Community Shuttle
x. SamTrans
xi. Santa Cruz Metro Highway 17 Express
xii. Stanford Marguerite Shuttle
b. Employer-provided shuttle or van service
c. Carpool or Vanpool
d. On-demand zone based micro-transit such as:
i. Milpitas SMART
ii. MoGo
iii. R.Y.D.E.
iv. Palo Alto Link
v. Silicon Valley Hopper
e. Bicycle or E-Scooter or other micro-mobility
f. Shared Bicycle or E-Scooter micro-mobility provider
g. Walk
3. The participant must work or attend post-secondary school (University, College, or Adult Education courses) in Santa Clara County. The participant does not need to live in Santa Clara County.
4. The participant has a qualifying emergency which include:
a. Participant or immediate family member suffers an illness, injury, or severe crisis.
b. Child or Eldercare emergency that requires an immediate response.
c. Participant is asked by a supervisor to work unscheduled overtime hours, which causes you to miss a planned ride home (supervisor verification will be required as part of reimbursement request).
d. Participant’s carpool or vanpool vehicle breaks down or the driver must leave early or late.
i. VTA Pilot Vanpool subsidy program participants are eligible.
e. Participant’s transit-connection shuttle breaks down, has a mechanical issue, operator emergency, or late arrival that results in missing the final transportation connection for that service, and no other public transportation options are available.
i. All VTA operated or contracted shuttles are covered.
ii. Employer provided shuttles that connect with public transportation are covered.
f. Any on-demand transportation service such as Morgan Hill MOGO, Milpitas SMART, Palo Alto Link, and VIA Cupertino that has a mechanical issue, operator emergency, or accident that results in both a ride cancellation and a wait time exceeding 1 hour.
g. The route’s final trip of the day was canceled (any bus, light rail, express bus, BART route or commuter rail line) by a public transit provider, or an accumulation of canceled trips that results in a wait time longer than 1 hour is eligible to be reimbursed.
h. The participant has a break-in, flood, or fire at their residence.
i. The participant’s commute bicycle, e-scooter, or other type of micro-transit breaks down, has a flat or otherwise is non-functional and cannot be repaired at their worksite or school.
i. A depleted battery is not considered a qualified emergency.
j. The participant’s commute bicycle, e-scooter, or other type of micro-transit has been stolen.
i. A signed verification of stolen property from insurance provider or local police department is required.
k. The participant's shared commute bicycle or e-scooter breaks down, has a flat or otherwise is non-functional and the participant is unable to acquire a functional bicycle or e-scooter within a 20-minute walk radius.
i. A depleted battery is not considered a qualified emergency.
ii. Verifiable proof in the form of receipt and screenshot of the nearest available shared e-scooter and or bicycle is required.
l. Local Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeds the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standard (OAQPS) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous threshold value of 301 or more on day of emergency. Historical values and additional information can be found on Airnow's webpage.
5. Participants in the GRH program are eligible to receive expense reimbursements for the following transportation modes:
a. Taxis
b. Rental Cars (including insurance and tolls)
c. Carshare vehicles (including insurance and tolls)
d. Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as:
i. Lyft, Uber, etc.
e. Public Transportation
f. Shared bicycle or e-scooter provider (micro-transit)
6. The following items or situations are not eligible for reimbursement:
a. Fuel
b. Gratuity
c. Typical transit delays
d. Worker strikes
e. Personal errands or appointments
f. Ride to work or school
g. Carpool app provider cannot find a match to get the commuter home
h. Non-emergency side trips
i. Business-related travel
j. Transportation to a doctor or hospital resulting from an on-the-job injury
k. Earthquakes
l. Using a Transportation Network Company such as Lyft or Uber to get to work or school
m. Jury duty
n. Participant does not have a valid trip receipt
7. Participants in the GRH program are eligible for a reimbursement of up to $125 per trip, based on actual receipts. Participants may utilize the GRH program reimbursement up to six times per calendar year or up to a maximum total reimbursement amount of $500 per calendar year, whichever comes first.
8. Additional Rules:
a. After completing a ride, participants must submit a request for reimbursement with a copy of the receipt to be reimbursed for the expenses within 30 days of the eligible ride.
b. If VTA determines that a participant falsifies information related to the reason they used the GRH program or the commute mode taken on the day the ride is used or otherwise misused the program, the participant will not be issued a reimbursement for the trip requested and will be prohibited from future use of the program for the rest of the calendar year.
c. The GRH program may not be used for personal errands, pre-planned appointments, ambulance service, anticipated or scheduled work overtime hours, non-emergency side trips, or as a substitute for their commute.
d. The participant must have photographic or official (i.e., correspondence from the micro-transit provider) proof of a malfunctioning shared bicycle or shared e- scooter.
e. The participant must have photographic and/or supervisor proof of damaged commuter or inoperable bicycle or e-scooter. Depleted batteries are not a reimbursable expense.
f. Additional authentication by written correspondence from a manager or supervisor may be required to authorize reimbursement of an emergency ride home. VTA reserves the right to contact your employer or school to verify information on a reimbursement claim.
g. VTA is not liable for any damages that may occur while participating in this program.
h. VTA reserves the right to deny a reimbursement request if the verification process is halted for 30 days or more from the initial inquiry date due to non-correspondence. Non-correspondence is defined as failure of the user or user’s provided contacts or references to provide clarifying answers to the administrator’s inquiries.
i. Participant must be at least 18 years or older to be eligible for a VTA GRH trip reimbursement.
Participant of the VTA Guaranteed Ride Home “GRH” Program agrees, on behalf of themselves, their heirs, successors, or assigns, release, indemnify and hold harmless their employer and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority from any and all claims, and demands of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to, any liability for personal injury, loss, theft or damage to personal property, loss of income, consequential damages resulting from use of the program or delays or absence and/or termination of the service. Furthermore, participants understand that if they incorrectly use this service, they may be restricted from using GRH again.
VTA will not share your personal information with any third parties, aside from what is necessary to process a reimbursement claim or otherwise fulfill the intent of the program. We may contact your employer to verify a claim or to verify employment status, employment location, or shift hours.
We reserve the right to alter the terms of this program. Terms and conditions are posted.
All GRH reimbursements are subject to funding availability.
By applying for this incentive, you agree to receive email communications from VTA. You can opt-out at any time.
Effective 11/15/2023