Not having a vehicle doesn' t have to be an impediment to getting to a job or finding work thanks to an Arlington program that provides weekday transportation for low- and moderate-income residents.

Through Ride2Work, which runs transport vans throughout the city each weekday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., those without a car can still access a wide array of employment-related activities including jobs, interviews and training for work, educational resources and childcare.

The program is needed, said Lyndsay Mitchell, a project manager in the Community Development and Planning Department, because reliable transportation allows people to not only get a job, but keep that job and earn enough money to become stable.

"Transportation is the missing link in getting people to maintain stable employment," Mitchell said. "Without a comprehensive public transportation system, this helps people. They just need that piece to get them there."

Ride2Work was launched in 2011 through a federal grant. The city provides matching funds and expects to be able to keep the program going through at least mid-2015 based on current ridership numbers.

The program has grown, Mitchell said, as more people find out about it.

"If you need to get your kids to daycare and you need to get to work, everyone can jump on board," she said.

To qualify for the service, riders must live in Arlington and have a low-to-moderate household income according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards. They also must not be eligible for the city' s Handitran service and need transportation to work or work-related activities.

Clients pay $2 per trip through cash or voucher and are typically referred to the program by partner agencies such as Mission Arlington, the Arlington Life Shelter, the Salvation Army and the Arlington Housing Authority. The city contracts with Catholic Charities, also a partner agency, to run the vans.

Those partner agencies also help potential riders determine qualifying income levels.

Mitchell said that although moderate-income residents are eligible for Ride2Work, roughly 90 percent of riders have household incomes below the federal poverty level.

Approved riders must make reservations for the service at least 48 hours before the scheduled trip by providing their name, phone number, date and time of departure, departure and destination address, time of return trip and the total number of dependent children who will be traveling.

Hopefully, Mitchell said, Ride2Work will develop a sustainable support system so the service could continue after matching grants run out.

Mitchell said the ideal outcome for riders is that they would use the service until they can afford their own transportation.

"We' ve had many clients who have utilized the service for a number of months," she said. "And we' ve recently had some who have been able to purchase their own vehicles."

For a complete list of partner agencies or for more information about Ride2Work, visit here.