Book a Ride
What We Offer
Gopher offers two (2) services to the general public:
Subsidized Rides and Market Rate Rides
Learn More & Schedule a Ride
To learn more or to schedule a ride call or text our main office* (toll-free) 1-855-GOPHER5 or 1-855-467-4375 Monday-Friday 8:00AM – 6:00PM (unless otherwise posted**) or email rides@gophervt.org at any time.
*There is usually one staff person answering the phone, and they may be busy helping other customers. Please leave a voicemail and we’ll return your call as soon as possible
**Current Holiday schedule – CRVT does not provide service on the following holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July
When Signing Up...
When you sign up for Community Rides Vermont’s services, you will be agreeing to our Rider Policies
Drivers, Vehicles & FAQs?
See our Meet Our Team page for more information on who may be picking you up and our Vehicles page for what our vehicles look like.
Also, take a look at our FAQ page for more information about our services.
Subsidized Rides - Discounted Market Rate
The Gopher-It Rideshare subsidized rides program offers discounted market rate rides for eligible individuals. Discounted market rate rides are discounted 75% per trip. Please be prepared to pay the discounted fare. See more information about payment below.
To qualify for subsidized rides individuals must meet at least one of the following:
- 3SquaresVT Income Guidelines (Oct 2024) | Department for Children and Families
- Note: applicants who are dependents – e.g., most college students – must include parent/guardian income in household income for this determination
- Residency in housing provided by local housing authorities (Barre, Montpelier), Downstreet, or Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), or receive other governmental housing assistance (e.g., Section 8)
- Receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits
- Receive Reach Up benefits from the State of Vermont
- Referral from a local social services provider (e.g., Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS), Good Samaritan Haven, Capstone Community Action, Mosaic VT, Turning Point Center, Central Vermont Council on Aging, VT Center for Independent Living, Green Mountain United Way)
We look forward to being able to provide this service! Please note that the eligibility lasts for one year from the date you’ve been signed up. After one year, we will do another intake.
Market Rate - Like a Taxi
Gopher’s Market Rate service is like a taxi service and is open to paying customers looking for door-to-door transportation in our service area. The main difference between our Market Rate rides and taxi service is that passengers must book through our call center, and rides cannot be hailed from the street.
Rate: Please reach out to us for a quote.
Gopher’s market ride rates are based on the estimated time the passenger is traveling in the vehicle and the variable booking fee based on the trip zone (outlined below). Sharing rides is highly encouraged when possible.
| Zone Name | Deadhead Distances* | Variable per Minute Rate | Vehicle Booking Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Local | 0-5 miles | $1.50 | $10.00 |
| Nearby | 5.1-10 miles | $2.00 | $10.00 |
| Intermediate | 10.1-15 miles | $2.50 | $15.00 |
| Long Distance | 15.1-20 miles | $3.00 | $20.00 |
| Very Long Distance | 20.1+ miles | $3.50 | $25.00 |
* Deadhead miles refer to the distance a vehicle travels without a paying passenger physically in the vehicle.
Additional Information Regarding Rides with Gopher
(also provided in our FAQ page)
Quotes
- Rides are calculated at a variable rate which means the price could decrease from our initial quote if are able to pair up trips with other passengers or optimize it around other trips in the area
- For prescheduled rides, we will confirm your ride details, including exact price, with you the afternoon before your ride. For same-day rides, we will confirm your ride details, including exact price, with you upon booking.
- The initial quote we give you is the most the ride will cost
Payment
- The driver can take all major credit and debit cards or personal check in the vehicle
- Accounts: If you plan to set up recurring rides and don’t want multiple transactions per day or week, we can set up an account through our payment processor, Square. Accounts can be loaded on a weekly or monthly basis. Once a trip is completed it will be processed through your account
- Cash: we are able to take cash from our office which is located at the Capstone building at 20 Gable Pl, Barre. Please let us know ahead of time if you will need to make a cash transaction as we want to ensure someone is in the office to assist you when you arrive
No-Shows or Late Cancellations
- Cancellations must be made at least two hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time. Rides cancelled less than two hours prior to pick-up are a late cancellation and are treated as a no-show. Any late cancellation/no-show is subject to our booking (administrative) fee.
- The booking fee depends on how far our vehicles would travel to pick you up. For example, local trips are subject to a $10 booking fee, and very long-distance trips are subject to a $25 booking fee
- The no-show/cancellation fee must be paid before being able to book other market rate trips with us
Sharing Trips:
- There may be opportunities to share a ride with other passenger(s) going to a similar location for a reduced rate.
- Sharing trips contributes to Gopher’s mission of shared mobility to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, while keeping rides more affordable for the community.
Scheduling:
- Gopher is a small company. We do our best to optimize rides around other pre-existing trips to reduce operational and rider costs.
- When pre-scheduling rides for upcoming trips (24 hours or more out), a staff member will provide a quote for the full trip (the maximum the passenger would pay), in the event we are unable to optimize around other existing rides. Price confirmation is provided the day before the trip date when Gopher calls the passenger to confirm trip details.
- When scheduling a same day ride, the price is determined upon booking.
