General Lab Information

Guaranteed Ride Program

People who consider joining car or vanpools worry that they will be left stranded if they must work late or an emergency arises on days they don't have their cars at work. To help alleviate this concern, 511NY Rideshare offers this program to employees who rideshare, transit, bicycle and walk. If an emergency should arise, you want to know that you can get home. This program provides that security and a ride when you need it.

Eligibility

Any BNL, BNL contractor, DOE Brookhaven Area Office, or Brookhaven Area Office subcontractor employee who is an active member of a carpool, vanpool, walks or bikes and has completed the 511NY Rideshare Registration can use the service.

After successfully making rideshare arrangements with another BNL employee through a list of potential rideshare partners provided by 511NY Rideshare, employees who are new to ridesharing must complete the 511NY Rideshare Registration. If the employee is using Uber as their service provider, he/she must use the 511NY Rideshare – Guaranteed Ride Program business profile to request their ride. If the employee is using Lyft as their service provider, he/she must call 511NY Rideshare Member Support to request a Lyft ride be dispatched to BNL.

Service Rules

You may use the service when:

  • Your supervisor requests that you work beyond scheduled hours without advanced notice; or
  • The regular driver of your car/vanpool leaves work early to respond to an emergency or is required to work beyond scheduled hours without advance notice; or
  • You or a family member becomes ill or experiences a personal emergency.

The service may not be used when:

  • You need to run personal errands; or
  • You stay late for personal reasons; or
  • You have a pre-scheduled medical or dental appointment; or
  • You stay after work for recreational activities; or
  • You voluntarily work late or when you have been assigned preplanned overtime.

Procedures to Use the Program

For unexpected overtime, when you are a passenger in a car/vanpool/transit, or you biked to work:

  1. When you know that you will need a ride home, alert other carpool/vanpool members to your situation to let them know you are working late and are making other arrangements for a ride home after work.
  2. To arrange an Uber ride, open the app on your smart phone and switch from your personal Uber account to the 511NY Rideshare – Guaranteed Ride Programbusiness account in your payment settings.
    1. Request your ride by entering your destination and by entering the reason for the ride when prompted.
    2. Remember to switch back to your personal account after using Uber for your guaranteed ride home.
  3. To use Lyft, call (866) 692-6668, Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. The 511NY Rideshare Member Support team will determine the eligibility of the ride based on the quoted trip cost, reason for the ride and trip location.
    1. Once approved, Member Support will arrange the ride over the phone and provide individuals with the make and model of the vehicle, license plate number and driver name.
    2. Be sure to note all the details before accepting the ride from the Lyft driver.

If the driver of your car/vanpool informs you that he is ill, must work late, or must attend a family emergency:

  1. To arrange an Uber ride, open the app on your smart phone and switch from your personal Uber account to the 511NY Rideshare – Guaranteed Ride Programbusiness account in your payment settings.
    1. Request your ride by entering your destination and by entering the reason for the ride when prompted.
    2. Remember to switch back to your personal account after using Uber for your guaranteed ride home.
  2. To use Lyft, call 718-886-1343, Monday through Friday after 6 a.m. or before 7 p.m. The 511NY Rideshare Member Support team will determine the eligibility of the ride based on the quoted trip cost, reason for the ride and trip location.
    1. Once approved, Member Support will arrange the ride over the phone and provide individuals with the make and model of the vehicle, license plate number and driver name.
    2. Be sure to note all the details before accepting the ride from the Lyft driver.

If you or a family member becomes ill or experiences a personal emergency, and you are a passenger in a car/vanpool or you biked to work:

  1. Alert other carpool/vanpool members and your supervisor to your situation to let them know you must leave work early.
  2. To arrange an Uber ride, open the app on your smart phone and switch from your personal Uber account to 511NY Rideshare – Guaranteed Ride Programbusiness account in your payment settings.
    1. Request your ride by entering your destination and by entering the reason for the ride when prompted.
    2. Remember to switch back to your personal account after using Uber for your guaranteed ride home.
  3. To use Lyft, call (718) 886-1343, Monday through Friday after 6 a.m. or before 7 p.m. The 511NY Rideshare Member Support team will determine the eligibility of the ride based on the quoted trip cost, reason for the ride and trip location.
    1. Once approved, Member Support will arrange the ride over the phone and provide individuals with the make and model of the vehicle, license plate number and driver name.
    2. Be sure to note all the details before accepting the ride from the Lyft driver.