A person biking alongside cars with the Wisconsin State Capitol building in the background
Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Emergency Ride Home Program

The Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Program gives Dane County commuters peace of mind by making sure there’s always a backup plan. If you regularly carpool, vanpool, take the bus, bike, or walk/roll to work or school, you can receive up to six $75 Union Cab vouchers per year to use in qualifying emergency situations.

The goal? To make affordable, healthy commute options easier by reducing congestion, cutting pollution, and easing parking demand.

ERH is funded by the Dane County Highway and Transportation Department and administered by RoundTrip, a free program of the Greater Madison MPO.

Who Can Join?

The Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Program is open to anyone commuting to work or school in Dane County. Participants must be 

  • At least 18 years old
  • Regularly commuting by biking, walking/rolling, riding the bus, carpooling, or vanpooling
  • Traveling to work or school

UW–Madison employees: Please use the UW Emergency Ride Home Program instead.

How it Works
  1. Sign Up: Create a free RoundTrip account and enroll in ERH under “My Rewards.”
  2. Approval: Your enrollment is reviewed within 1-2 business days.
  3. Redeem a Ride: When an emergency occurs, log in to your RoundTrip dashboard and redeem a ride.
  4. Ride Home: Call Union Cab at (608) 242-2000 and show your voucher to the driver.

No computer access? Request paper vouchers by calling (608) 266-7433 or emailing roundtrip@cityofmadison.com.

Where Can You Ride?
  • From work or school to home
  • Park-and-ride lots
  • Public transit stops
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Daycare or schools (for picking up dependents)

What's Covered

Qualifying emergency situations include: 

  • Personal or family illness
  • Unexpected departure of a car/vanpool driver making it impossible to rideshare home
  • Bicycle breakdown on the way to or from work
  • Unscheduled overtime requested by a supervisor, making it impossible to rideshare home
  • Personal crisis such as death in the family, flood, fire, or break-in at home
  • A new carpool arrangement that isn’t a good fit, leaving you without a ride home

What's NOT Covered

ERH does not cover:

  • Inclement weather
  • Lack of regular transportation to or from work
  • Public transit service disruptions or delays
  • Rides from home
  • Personal vehicle breakdowns
  • Missed bus or carpool due to running late
  • Trips for errands, appointments, or non-work destinations (e.g., the airport)
  • Voluntary overtime or choosing to work late
  • Multiple rides in the same day
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Commuting & Travel