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Commute With Care Program

Reducing employees’ carbon footprint through community transportation.
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Methodist Health System understands the connections between everyday commuting, our community and our health. Sustainable commuting (taking mass transit, biking, walking and carpooling) promotes public health by lessening air pollution from single-occupancy vehicle trips. It also improves cardiovascular and pulmonary health while encouraging a sense of community. That’s why we’re excited to offer the Methodist Commute with Care Program.

In addition to the health benefits, active commuting can help reduce stress and financial hardship. Commuting is expensive and waiting in traffic is frustrating and time consuming. We want your commute to be spent doing things you enjoy; like exercising, talking to a friend, or reading. That’s why Methodist is excited to offer the Commute with Care Program that sponsors multiple modes of transportation, including free access to all Metro buses, a safe and secure carpool matching portal, accessible bike parking, and an emergency ride home program. We want to reduce the barriers you face and support a healthy daily commute.

Free up your time and your wallet with one or more of the Commute with Care sponsored active commuting options.

Program Benefits

The Commute with Care Program encourages individuals to take advantage of sustainable commuting through the following benefits.

  • Methodist Health System is pleased to offer employees a free Metro bus pass that can be used any time. Please register below to receive a special code to register for the free bus program. All registrants will receive an email within five to seven business days with instructions on how to claim your free bus pass. The email will go to the Methodist email address that you used to register.

    Registration at the bottom of this page is required to participate in the Metro Bus Pass program.

    If you have questions or have not received your email within seven business days, please contact:

    Emily Paxton
    Human Resources
    (402) 354-2287

    In addition, please view the variety of transit resources below:

    NOTE: The rideshare website is temporarily down; once the Iowa DOT reinstates the website we will remove this notice.

    A website has been created to help Methodist employees locate nearby coworkers who may be interested in carpooling.

    Follow these steps to get started:

    1. Register on Methodist’s Metro Rideshare portal.
      • Provide your name, email address (you MUST use your Methodist-provided email address) and mobile phone number.
      • Follow the prompts to verify your email address and phone number.
      • Note: The link above will direct you to the IowaRideShare page. This link should be used by all Methodist employees in both Iowa and Nebraska.
    2. Create a profile.
      • Upload an image (not required).
      • Provide a gender (not required).
      • Provide your smoking preference.
    3. Create a trip profile.
      • Name your commute (e.g., My MWF Commute).
      • Enter your origin and destination address.
      • Provide your schedule (multiple schedules can be saved under different profiles).
      • Select all modes of travel that interest you.
      • Select preferred “Primary Travel Mode.”
      • Provide your “Trip Visibility” preferences.
    4. Search for trips.
      • Choose either “Recurring” or “One-time” trips.
      • Click “See Results.”

    Methodist has partnered with zTrip® to offer a free Emergency Ride Home (ERH) service to registered Commute with Care participants when unforeseen emergencies come up on the days they bike, carpool, take the bus or walk to work or school. At this time, the program is available only at select Methodist locations in Omaha and Council Bluffs.

    Registration at the bottom of this page is required to participate in the Emergency Ride Home Program.

    Program rules:

    1. Only participants who have signed up for the Commute with Care Program will be eligible to receive a free ride home. Please note that it takes one week for your name to be added to the program.
    2. This 24-hour service can be used only to travel home or to a doctor’s office, hospital or dependent’s school or daycare.
    3. The ERH service can be used only for the following conditions:
      • Unexpected illness of a participant or carpool driver
      • Unexpected illness or accident of an immediate family member (child, partner/spouse, parent or household dependent)
      • Unscheduled overtime or late meeting (i.e., no advance notice that the participant would have to work late)
      • Carpool driver had to leave work early for an emergency
      • Carpool vehicle or bicycle breakdown
    4. All ERH rides must originate from a Methodist location.
      • Only Methodist locations within Omaha or Council Bluffs city limits are eligible at this time.
    5. Up to two stops are permitted per ERH trip (e.g., a child’s school and then home).
    6. Please note that while all vehicles can transport children in car seats, zTrip will not provide a car seat for your use.
    7. The ERH service may be used for up to five rides per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). The number of allowable rides will be prorated based on the date a participant initially registers for the Commute with Care Program. There is no carry-over from one fiscal year to the next. Rides taken in excess of the five-ride annual limit are the financial responsibility of the participant.

    How to call for an emergency ride home with zTrip:

    1. Employees need to call the dispatch center at (402) 202-2222 and press 9.
    2. Call zTrip at (402) 202-2222 and press 9. Please be ready to provide:
      • Your name
      • Date and time of pickup
      • Pickup address
      • Drop-off address
      • Methodist account number: 54450

    As a Methodist employee, you have access to a variety of bicycle parking options on all Methodist campuses.

    • Methodist Hospital: employee garage
    • Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital: in front of the Jennie Edmundson Medical Plaza or the entrance to the Emergency Department
    • 825 Building: northwest side of the building
    • College: west side of the Clark Building
    • HealthWest: north entrance
    • Methodist Women’s Hospital: between the Emergency Department and the helipad
    • Methodist Fremont Health: entrance of Dunklau Gardens or the employee entrance to the Emergency Department
    • More Resources