Sudbury commission approves $100 monthly emergency Uber voucher starting May 1

The Sudbury Transportation Commission voted on March 6 to institute an emergency ride voucher through Uber valued at $100 per trip, limited to one voucher per user per month and intended to begin May 1, 2026. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with Burney, Sapienza, Wallace, Boardman and Chair Dan Carty voting aye.

Chair Dan Carty invited representatives from UberTransit, including CSM Andy Willard and Implementation Manager Eric Cartrite, to explain how the emergency functionality would work. Eric Cartrite said a background mechanism will be required to confirm a rider is enrolled in the existing voucher program before they can receive the emergency voucher, and that Uber can notify users by email when they are not eligible despite having completed the application form. Cartrite also said vouchers can be delivered to a recipients email address or phone number.

Town staff member Adam Burney moved to adopt the emergency voucher protocol at $100 per voucher, limited to one per user per month, with a target implementation date of May 1; Alice Sapienza seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Burney (Aye), Sapienza (Aye), Wallace (Aye), Boardman (Aye) and Carty (Aye).

Commission discussion emphasized that emergency rides should operate after the regular program hours. The action item record instructs Burney and Chair Carty to provide the information necessary to Uber for enrollment verification ahead of the May 1 target date.

The Commission did not specify a dedicated funding source in the discussion. Committee members also noted operational details that remain to be finalized, including how eligibility checks will be implemented and how outreach will inform eligible riders about the new emergency option. The motion represents a formal policy change by the Commission and will proceed to the implementation steps assigned to staff.