A rideshare program that provides free services to domestic violence survivors has new funding and is expanding to help more people in New York City, after facilitating nearly 1,200 rides and meal deliveries in its first year.
The HOPE Rides initiative, which is made possible through a partnership between Uber, Alliance for HOPE International, and the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence, will receive $80,000 in funding from the rideshare platform this fiscal year — up from the $50,000 allocated when it first launched in the city last summer, according to representatives from the partnering organizations.
HOPE Rides helps domestic violence survivors and their children flee abusive situations, travel to court appearances, attend medical appointments, reach emergency shelters and even order food and other supplies to wherever they are through Uber Eats. The program operates in 11 states across the country, with plans to expand to 17 states this upcoming year.
New York City was selected as one of the first sites of the pilot program in July 2025.
During its first 12 months, HOPE Rides provided New Yorkers with 5,500 miles of service, according to Uber — equal to driving all the way to California and back again.
The trips are organized through the city’s Family Justice Centers, which provide a multitude of free and confidential resources to survivors in each borough. Anyone who needs a free ride through the program can call their local Family Justice Center, connect online or walk in.
“ When survivors come in, they’re exhausted,” said Susan Jacob, executive director of the Queens Family Justice Center. “They are here pretty much all day, and food and transportation have been so instrumental in just providing them with a little bit of hope.”
The Mayor’s Office to End Gender-Based Violence says that each center assesses clients to ensure the program reaches those with the greatest need or highest risk. The survivors eligible to use HOPE Rides are those who need immediate help fleeing an unsafe situation, those who are moving whole families and their belongings, those experiencing serious food insecurity, those who have physical mobility issues and those who need transportation to ongoing legal or health-related appointments due to gender-based violence.
“ It is very, very flexible because we know transportation is a barrier to safety,” Jacob said.
According to NYPD data, reports of domestic violence assaults across the city have stayed relatively stagnant so far this year, with more than 19,720 incidents reported through mid-August, which is nearly the same number of reports during the same timeframe in 2025.
But murders linked to domestic violence have been trending down citywide over the last three years, police data shows. They’re on pace to be even lower this year: Through mid-August, there were 32 DV-related homicides across the city, which is the lowest number in that timeframe since 2007, according to NYPD officials.
The Queens Family Justice Center serves more clients than any of the centers in the other boroughs, and spent more than $9,500 in HOPE Rides trips from August 2025 through May 2026, data from the mayor’s office shows. The only borough that spent more was Brooklyn, by about $500.
Queens resident Kelvin, a domestic violence survivor who asked that Gothamist only use his first name to protect his safety, said he has used HOPE Rides to attend ongoing court appearances, to travel to the Family Justice Center and to order food for himself during long days of appointments with caseworkers. The 22-year-old said the service has been a lifeline in a borough that is notorious for its public transit deserts.
“ Coming out of situations like we are in…you have to think about [finances], like how am I going to go out and survive through the day or through even the week,” he said, adding that he uses the program through the Uber app, which makes it “feel like you’re just a regular person.”
“ It just says like, ‘Hey, you have a credit here.’ You’re able to go ahead and use it, or you could go ahead and use your regular payment method,” Kelvin said. “ It doesn’t go make you feel like someone is giving you something.”
Gabriela Condarco-Quesada, a spokesperson for Uber, said the company takes a number of precautions to make sure HOPE Rides keep survivors safe.
She said every Uber driver undergoes a background check and driving history screening before their first trip, and the company re-runs criminal history checks each year. Riders can also select female drivers if that would make them feel more comfortable. While the company’s most recent safety report dates back to 2022, its data show that 99.9% of rides end without a serious safety incident.
Although an important safety precaution in most circumstances, Uber’s tracking feature can be dangerous for survivors fleeing a harmful situation. The Family Justice Centers routinely help people disconnect their apps from their abusers, securing bank data, location information and email addresses.
“ Everything’s intertwined through, like, social media and stuff like that, and the relief of just having that separate connection with HOPE Rides just is amazing,” Kelvin said.
Jacob said she wants to encourage more survivors to connect with Family Justice Centers and the resources they offer – and hopes that free transportation will make it easier.
“ Every survivor deserves the opportunity to live free from violence,” she said. “By removing barriers to transportation and food insecurity, we’re not just providing rides, we’re creating pathways to safety, healing and hope.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic violence, call 1-800-621-HOPE or 311 to get connected to a Family Justice Center.
