Photo by tedeytan.

From stories to action: The group formerly known as Hollaback D.C. is preparing to launch a service to offer safe, free rides to Washington’s women and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population. And it needs help to do so.

Collective Action for Safe Spaces started a survey this week to gauge where the need is in D.C. for safe, late night rides. Questions include basics like where the survey taker lives and how old they are, to what kind of inappropriate harassment they’ve experienced.

The survey will prep the group for the launch of RightRidesDC, a volunteer program that will provide free rides late at night to women and LGBT individuals. CASS leaders have wanted to bring the service, which originated in New York City, to D.C. for several years, Julia Strange, the organization’s program and policy director, told DCist.

“We identified the need for RightRides through the numerous stories of late night sexual harassment and sexual assault that come up in the news and are submitted to our blog, including harassment assaults perpetrated by public transit workers and taxi drivers,” Strange wrote in an email. “Though as an organization we recognize that culture change is the only way to truly eliminate sexual assault, we want to make sure that women and LGBTQ individuals have a safe and affordable transportation option home in the meantime.”

CASS started in 2009 as Holla Back D.C., a space where residents could share their experiences with street harassment. The site still hosts these stories, but CASS—which is run by volunteers—now also holds workshops, advocates for policy, and does community outreach.

Strange said the group is looking to launch RightRidesDC in the coming months. CASS will soon meet with car-sharing companies in hopes of starting a partnership. It will then train volunteer drivers and hire a part-time coordinator. The service will be funded by donations.

In New York, Right Rides works with Zipcar and operates on Friday and Saturday nights between midnight and 4 a.m. When launches, RightRidesDC will always have at least one female volunteer in each car, Strange said.

But before any of this can become a reality, surveys must be completed by Tuesday.