Transit backup program gave 3,096 free rides home last year

A program that gives commuters a free ride home for unexpected emergencies provided a record number of trips last year.

The Commuter Connections program through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments offers a “guaranteed ride home” to commuters who walk, take public transit, bike or carpool to work. The idea is to reduce traffic on the region’s notoriously congested roads by knocking away hurdles that prevent commuters from leaving the car at home.