What we know about Guaranteed Ride Home:

Ž Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) product is a viable ridesharing support service that makes ridesharing a more attractive transportation alternative in the Metropolitan Washington area because it takes away a major hurdle – the threat of being stranded at work if you miss your carpool or vanpool.

Key Facts about the Appeal of Guaranteed Ride Home Service:

Ž Two of the biggest obstacles to ridesharing involve the need to have a car at work - to run errands during the day and to be in control if you unexpectedly have to work late and miss your car or vanpool. The GRH product tackles the second challenge.

Among commuters in the Metropolitan Washington, DC, area, 17% are more likely to rideshare if there is a GRH service available to them. Source: “Guaranteed Ride Home Phone Survey,” 1994.

Non-SOV commuters are more influenced by the availability of GRH service than are SOVers.

Long-distance commuters are more likely to increase their ridesharing if there is a GRH service.

Ž GRH has greater appeal for certain demographic groups. Commuters are more likely to be interested in GRH if they are younger, or use a carpool or vanpool as their primary transportation mode to work, or have alternative modes of transportation that are convenient to their home or work, or have longer commute times to work. Additionally, GRH has greater appeal for commuters who have lower household incomes, work in clerical/office support, warehouse, craftsman or laborer occupations, or who have children between the ages of 6-18.

Commuters are less likely to express interest in GRH service if they are older, or report Metro (rail) as their primary transportation mode to work, or drive alone to work, or have professional/managerial occupations.

Ž Car/Vanpool and bus riders are most interested in GRH service.

Ž Type of employer does not appear to be related to interest in GRH.

Related Studies/Documents:

1994: “Guaranteed Ride Home Focus Groups”

1994: “Guaranteed Ride Home Phone Survey”