Commute to work, worry-free. We've got your back.
If you walk, bike, take transit, scooter, or carpool to work in San Francisco, you can get paid back for a taxi ride home in case of an emergency, even if you live outside of San Francisco.
- Pay for your taxi rides (see list of Official Taxis) and save your receipts
- Submit your taxi ride receipts within 30 days of your trip to get your money back up to $150 (tips not included)
- You may get paid back up to $150 four times per year
Please note, Uber or Lyft rides will NOT be paid back.
Program guidelines
- Emergency examples
- People who can use the program
- Choices for emergency travel
- Trip rules
- Trips you CANNOT get paid back for
- Get paid back for taxi or transit trips
Emergency Examples
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Illness or crisis for you or a family member, including threats to personal safety
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Carpool or vanpool ride is not available because of changes in the driver's schedule or if the vehicle is not working
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Bicycle problem including flat tire, mechanical problem, vandalism, or theft
- Home emergency, such as a break-in, fire, flood, or other emergency that occurs at your home
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Required overtime that you did not know about before the start of the workday
People who can use the program
- All employees who work in San Francisco, and arrived to work by walking, biking, transit, scooter, or carpool on the day of the emergency
- You must be 18 years or older at the time of the taxi ride to get paid back
Choices for emergency travel
Take an official taxi or public transportation for your emergency ride home. You CANNOT get paid back for an Uber or Lyft ride.
Call an official taxi or download the Flywheel and YoTaxi apps to order a taxi when you need a ride:
Flywheel
YoTaxi SF
Trip rules
Trips must start at the employee's work location in San Francisco and can end at home, a transit stop, or the place that their car is parked (e.g. park-and-ride lot, carpool partner's home, etc.) either in or outside of San Francisco.
You must have arrived to work by walking, biking, transit, scooter, or carpool on the day of the emergency.
Side trips on your way home that have to do with the emergency are allowed, including picking up a sick child at school or daycare, getting a prescription at a pharmacy or stopping at an ATM for cash to pay the taxi driver.
Trips that you CANNOT get paid back for:
- Personal errands or pre-planned medical appointments
- Emergencies that you need an ambulance for
- Business-related travel
- Overtime that was planned or known about before the start of the workday, or was not allowed by a supervisor
- Natural disasters or civic emergencies (e.g. earthquake, demonstration, etc.)
- Transit service breakdown or stop in service
- Transportation to a doctor or hospital because of an on-the-job injury (Emergency Ride Home cannot be used to replace an employer's legal responsibility under workers' compensation regulations)
- Non-emergency related side trips on the way home
- Rides taken by Uber or Lyft
Get paid back for your taxi or transit trips
Send us your receipts and the reason for your Emergency Ride Home using this form.
Upload a copy of your receipt(s) or mail them with your full name and address to:
San Francisco Emergency Ride Home Program
1155 Market Street 3rd Floor
San Francisco CA 94103
Employees can get paid back up to $150 (not including tips) for taxi rides per emergency. If your taxi ride(s) and/or transit ride(s) for a given emergency cost over $150 in total, you will receive up to $150 but will have to pay the rest yourself. Taxi rides can get paid back for up to four emergencies per year.
Contact Information
San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment)
City & County of San Francisco
Phone: (415) 355-3700
Email: CommuteSmart@sfgov.org
This program supports the City's goal of reaching 80% Sustainable Trips (or Low-Carbon Trips). Learn more about San Francisco's Climate Action goals at SFClimateAction.org.
Funded By:
