If you've been avoiding car pooling or public transit because of fear something will happen to your ride and you'll be stranded, the Atlanta Regional Commission has a new program you may like.

The first region-wide Guaranteed Ride Home program is being launched by Commute Connections, an ARC program.

GRH provides a back-up plan for commuters who get stranded at the office or who need to get home early for an emergency.

Since February, nearly 1,600 individuals working at 45 work sites have registered to participate in the federally funded program, and Commute Connections receives up to 50 new applications each week and signs up new employers at a rate of three to five a month, according to a spokesman.

David Marwick, human resources manager for Marriot hotel chain's worldwide reservations center in Cobb County, said more than half of his work force relies on car pools and transit to get to and from work. “GRH is a great selling point for us,” he said. Having a guaranteed ride home “gives them real peace of mind to know they can get home quickly to a sick child or after working an unexpected overtime,” he added.

According to a recent survey by Beth Shapiro and Associates, the need for a way home in emergencies is the most important obstacle to ride sharing among 47 percent of metro Atlanta commuters, and 36 percent say they are “much more likely” to car pool if they have access to a guaranteed ride.

Eligible workers include anyone who regularly car pools, van pools, uses transit, bikes or walks to work in the 10-county metro Atlanta region.

To sign up, phone 1-87 RIDEFIND, or go to www.commuteconnections.com. Applicants receive an identification card in the mail with details on whom to contact when they need to use the program. Participating employers designate administrators who determine if a stranded employee has a valid emergency.

The employer can choose from a list of taxi services to provide the ride home. The employee pays with a voucher.

In cases where the worker lives outside a cab company's service area, GRH users are eligible for a free car rental.

Valid reasons for using the service include unscheduled overtime, illness, an emergency involving an immediate family member, a serious problem at a child's school or day care center, burglary or fire at the commuter's home, or a commuter's car pool partner leaving work early because of an emergency.

Among major employers now participating are Beers Construction, BellSouth, Emory University, Hewlett Packard and Home Depot.