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COMMUTE REWARDS and INCENTIVES

In this section:

About | Commuter Tax Benefits | Guaranteed Ride Home | County Incentives | Free Bridge Tolls
Carpool (HOV) Lanes and Lots

County Incentives

Many counties offer great incentive programs to encourage commuters to use a commute alternative to driving alone. See what benefits are available to you below – and, be sure to check out incentives for counties where you live and where you work.

Vanpool Rewards
Start a vanpool Get $900 - Learn More

511 Contra Costa

Guaranteed Ride Home
What: A free taxi ride or rental car in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime)
Who is eligible: Employees in Contra Costa County who use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency; the employer is required to pre-register in the program
Contact: 511 Contra Costa,
(510) 215-3035 or www.511contracosta.org
Vanpool Passengers
What: 50% off your vanpool fare for the first 3 months
Who is eligible: New vanpool riders who live OR work in Contra Costa County (and who have not been in a registered vanpool for 6 months)
Contact: 511 Contra Costa at the City of San Ramon,
(925) 973-2650 or www.511contracosta.org
Vanpool Drivers
What: Start a new vanpool, keep it on the road for one year, and receive $1000.00!
Who is eligible: Drivers of new vanpools originating OR headed to Contra Costa County
Contact: 511 Contra Costa at the City of San Ramon,
(925) 973-2650 or www.511contracosta.org
Carpool Incentive Program
What: $60.00 in gift cards per participant.
Who is eligible: Commuters who work or live in Contra Costa and start a carpool with two or more persons, or add a new person to their existing carpool. Commuters must carpool at least 2 days per week for eight weeks and be 18 years or older
Contact: 511 Contra Costa
925-969-0841 x203 or www.511contracosta.org
Transit Incentive Program
What: Complimentary transit tickets
Who is eligible: Commuters who live, work, or attend college in Contra Costa County, and currently drive alone
Contact: 511 Contra Costa
925-969-0841 x205 or www.511contracosta.org

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Alameda County Incentives

Guaranteed Ride Home
What: A free taxi or rental car ride home in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime)
Who is eligible: Employees who work in Alameda County, and who use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency. Even if you use alternatives infrequently, your free taxi ride or rental car voucher is good on the day of your alternative commute. The program is restricted to employees working for companies with 75 or more employees; both the employer and employee must pre-register in the program.
Contact: Alameda County CMA, Guaranteed Ride Home, c/o Nelson\Nygaard (510) 433-0320 or www.accma.ca.gov/grh/
Guaranteed Ride Home - ACE Rail
What: A ride home in case of an emergency during the hours of 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Who is eligible: Monthly pass holders of ACE Rail train tickets
Contact: Denise Jefferson, ACE Rail,
(800) 411-RAIL, or www.acerail.com

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Marin County Incentives

Marin County (TAM) Vanpool Incentive Program
What: Up to $3,600 (paid quarterly) over 24 months to new vanpools in Marin County.
Who is eligible: Employer or individually-based vanpools that have an origin/destination in Marin County. (Must be new vanpools formed after February 1, 2009.) Vanpools must meet all eligibility requirements and successfully complete the required consecutive months of operation.
Contact: 511 Rideshare at 510-273-3616 or 510-273-3642 or 511.org

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Monterey County Incentives

Electric Bicycle Loan
What: Use of electric bicycles for everyday work, commute and personal trip purposes
Who is eligible: Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito County public agencies and Monterey County businesses
Contact: Commute Alternatives or (831) 422-POOL
Emergency Guaranteed Ride Home
What: Reimburse commuters who use alternative modes of transportation at least once a week for the expense of taking a cab or renting a car to get home
Who is eligible: Commuters working or living in Monterey County (must be registered with the program)
Contact: Commute Alternatives or (831) 422-POOL

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Napa County Incentives

Emergency Ride Home Program
What: A free taxi ride or rental car ride home in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime)
Who is eligible: Employees in Napa County who use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency; the employer and employee are required to pre-register in the program
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo
Vanpool Passengers
What: $100 in free gas cards for the first two months as a new back-up driver (driving five times each month)
Who is eligible: New back-up drivers of vanpools driving to, from or through Napa county
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo
Vanpool Start-Up Incentive
What: $100 in free gas cards per empty seat for the first month, decreasing in increments of $25
Who is eligible: New vanpools with at least 70% occupancy, driving to, from or through Napa county.
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo

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San Francisco County Incentives

Vanpool Incentive
What: Preferred vanpool parking is available in specific designated areas of downtown San Francisco (first-come-first-served). Vanpools with permits may park free at any 60-minute or longer meter in these designated areas. Get more information and/or apply.
Who is eligible:

Vanpools with SF vanpool parking permit. Minivans and full-size vans must have a minimum of seven passengers.

Contact: vanpool@rideshare.511.org or call 511 and say “Rideshare.”
Emergency Ride Home
What: A free taxi ride or rental car in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime).
Who is eligible: Employees in San Francisco who use alternative transportation, such as carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, bicycling and walking.  An employee who takes a ride must be a permanent part-time or full-time employee of a registered employer at a San Francisco worksite.
Contact: Adeline Canez, (415) 355-3729 or go to www.sferh.org
City Garages with Carpool Rates
What: Many City-owned/operated parking lots have discounted parking available for carpools. Rates vary by lot. Check individual locations for details.
Who is eligible: Check individual lots for details.
Contact: Some details are online or contact the lot directly. Click here.

Carpool Parking Permit

What:

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) provides carpool parking permits to employers with more than two-hundred employees and located in a residential neighborhood.

Who is eligible: Employers approved by the Director of SFMTA, and willing to designate an onsite administrator/employee to organize the program. Employees must travel to work in groups of three (or more) and in passenger commuter vehicles. Permit holders must work within a half mile radius of the carpool permit parking area. For a list of employers currently offering this discount, go  to: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/pperm/13442.html#carpool
Contact: SFMTA Residential Permit Parking Office: (415) 701-3000

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San Mateo County Incentives

Guaranteed Ride Home
What: A free taxicab home in case of emergency (illness, family crises, or unscheduled overtime)
Who is eligible: Commuters working in San Mateo County who use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency, and whose employers are pre-registered in the program
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org
Carpool Incentive
What: A $60 gas card for people who carpool.
Who is eligible: Commuters driving to, from or through San Mateo County who form a new carpool with two or more people over the age of 18. Also eligible are new carpool members who are added to an existing two-person carpool.
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org
Vanpool Passengers
What: 50% off your vanpool fare for the first 3 months
Who is eligible: New riders in vanpools driving to, from or through San Mateo County
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org
Vanpool Drivers
What: Start a new vanpool, keep it on the road for six months, and receive $500
Who is eligible: Drivers of new vanpools driving to, from or through San Mateo County
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org
Bicycle Parking
What: Receive a 50% funding match for the cost of purchasing and installing basic bike racks and high security bike lockers, up to a maximum of $500 per unit.
Who is eligible: All employers within San Mateo County
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or send an email to alliance@commute.org
FREE Transit
What: Free coupons to try public transit
Who is eligible: Commuters who travel to, from and through San Mateo County and would like to try public transit (Caltrain, BART, etc.)
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org
Downtown Dasher
What: Free lunchtime taxi service
Who is eligible: Employees working in the East of 101 business park in South San Francisco
Contact: Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance,
(650) 588-8170 or alliance@commute.org   www.commute.org

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Santa Clara County Incentives

Eco Pass Transit Program
What: Annual transit pass for use on South Bay transit systems; this includes a Guaranteed Ride Home in case of an emergency
Who is eligible: Full-time employees of participating Santa Clara employers (who purchase these passes)
Contact: The Santa Clara VTA, ecopass@vta.org
Guaranteed Ride Home (ACE Rail)
What: A ride home in case of an emergency during the hours of 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Who is eligible: Monthly pass holders of ACE Rail train tickets
Contact: Denise Jefferson, ACE Rail,
(800) 411-RAIL, or www.acerail.com
Shoreline Amphitheater
What: Preferential Parking
Who is eligible: Carpools with four or more people, arriving at least one hour before showtime
Contact: Shoreline Amphitheatre
www.shoreline-amd.com/traffic.asp

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Santa Cruz County Incentives

Commute Solutions
What: FREE personalized trip planning and help with your commute
Who is eligible: People who live or work in Santa Cruz County
Contact: Commute Solutions, a program of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
(831) 429-POOL or www.CommuteSolutions.org
Emergency Ride Home Program
What: RideSurance: Your safety net for green commuting. Get a free taxi, rental car or bus ride home in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime).
Who is eligible: People who live or work in Santa Cruz County, use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency, and purchase RideSurance for $24/year.
Contact: Ecology Action
(831) 426-5925 ext. 134 or www.RideSurance.org

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Solano County Incentives

Emergency Ride Home Program
What: A free taxi ride or rental car ride home in case of an emergency (illness, family crisis, unscheduled overtime)
Who is eligible: Employees in Solano County who use any alternative to driving alone to work (public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, or walking) on the day of the emergency; the employer and employee are required to pre-register in the program
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo
Vanpool Passengers
What: $100 in free gas cards for the first two months as a new back-up driver (driving five times each month)
Who is eligible: New back-up drivers of vanpools driving to, from or through Solano county
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo
Vanpool Start-Up Incentive
What: $100 in free gas cards per empty seat for the first month, decreasing in increments of $25
Who is eligible: New vanpools with at least 70% occupancy, driving to, from or through Solano county
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo
Bike Commuters
What: 60% off the cost of a new bike, up to $100 per person
Who is eligible: Any Solano resident or employee over the age of 18 who agrees to program rules and guidelines
Contact: Solano Napa Commuter Information,
511 or www.solanolinks.com/commuterinfo

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Sonoma County Incentives

Guaranteed Ride Home
What: A taxi ride home in case of an emergency
Who is eligible: Any commuter who works in Santa Rosa, and uses a commute alternative on the day of the emergency. The employee must be registered in the "Take a Free Ride" program, or their employer must be registered with the City of Santa Rosa's Trip Reduction Program
Contact: Department of Transit and Parking, City of Santa Rosa,
(707) 543-3325
Carpool incentives
What: Free parking in downtown garages, and eligibility for monthly prize drawings
Who is eligible: Any commuter who works in downtown Santa Rosa, and shares the ride with one other person. The employee must be registered in the "Take a Free Ride" program, or their employer must be registered with the City of Santa Rosa's Trip Reduction Program
Contact: Department of Transit and Parking, City of Santa Rosa,
(707) 543-3325
Reduced transit passes
What: $10 monthly CityPass or Sonoma County Transit Pass
Who is eligible: Any commuter who works in Santa Rosa and is registered in the "Take a Free Ride" program, or their employer is registered with the City of Santa Rosa's Trip Reduction Program
Contact: Department of Transit and Parking, City of Santa Rosa,
(707) 543-3325

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