Emergency Rides Home

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Policy Number:
UW-6123
Old Policy Number:
TS-41
Responsible Office:
Transportation Services

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy outlines who is eligible for the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program, the parameters of the program, and eligibility for the program. 

Definitions:
Emergency Ride Home (ERH)
A supporting service designed for UW employees who choose an alternative to driving alone to campus. In an emergency, employees may use a pre-printed voucher or pre-requested code to cover the cost of the cab ride home.
Scope:

 Any UW-Madison or affiliate employee (including UW Health), including faculty, academic staff, classified staff, limited term employees, and individuals with emerit status, who do not drive to work – including people who vanpool, carpool, bus, bike, walk and/or use a park and ride – are eligible for the Emergency Ride Home program. 

Policy:
  1. ERH is intended as a safety net so those who choose not to drive to campus do not worry about being stranded in an emergency. ERH is available 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and may be used in the following instances:
    1. Employee gets sick while at work.
    2. A family member is sick or injured.
    3. A personal crisis, such as a death in the family, extensive property damage/loss due to natural disaster, theft, etc.)
  2. Users must follow ERH procedures outlined by Transportation Services. 
  3. Restrictions
    1. ERH can be used up to three times every six months.
    2. ERH is only covered by certain authorized vendors who have contracts with University of Wisconsin–Madison.
    3. ERH can only originate from within established campus boundaries.
    4. Transportation Services reserves the right to review a request to determine emergency status. Ineligible requests for an emergency ride home will be denied and any fares will be the responsibility of the user.
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Emergency Ride Home

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Assistant Vice Chancellor of UW-Madison Transportation Services
Policy Manager:
Director of Parking Operations
Contact:
Director of Parking Operations -- Caryn Walline, cwalline@wisc.edu, (608) 263-6667
Effective Date:
04-01-2002
Revised Dates:

03-01-2003, 03-01-2004, 03-01-2005, 03-01-2006, 07-01-2012, 03-01-2018, 05-19-2022, 08-02-2023, 09-01-2025

Retrieved:
10-11-2025 17:07:35