Metro Transit not offering free rides on New Year’s Eve, rideshares offer discounts
Metro Transit not offering free NYE rides
A Met Council spokesperson confirmed with FOX 9 that riders will have to pay for their fares over the New Year’s holiday after the organization was unable to secure a sponsor to cover the roughly $36,000 in lost revenue operating the program in previous years.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Metro Transit is not offering free rides for New Year’s Eve this year, but some rideshare apps are providing discounts in an effort to help people get home safely after celebrating the New Year.
Metro Transit not offering free rides
What we know: Metro Transit is offering special trips along several routes for New Year’s Eve celebrations on Tuesday night, but unlike in previous years, passengers using the bus or light rail train will have to buy a ticket as the fares will no longer be free.
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The Met Council explained it was unable to secure a sponsor to cover the roughly $36,000 cost of offering free rides on New Year’s Eve. Find more information on Metro Transit's New Year's Eve and New Year's Day service here.
Dig deeper: And while public transit users face fare costs, rideshare companies are offering their own incentives to help people get home safely. People using Lyft can enter the code "countdown" for $10 off their ride. Emerging Minnesota-based rideshare company MOOV is also offering a 25% coupon code.
READ MORE: Minnesota weather: Quiet, cloudy and seasonably mild for New Year's Eve
"It’s something I take very seriously. And I love this community. I don’t want anyone to get hurt," explained MOOV CEO Murid Amini about why they’re offering a New Year’s Eve discount code.
FOX 9 reached out to Uber on whether they’re offering a deal, but have not yet heard back.
Extra DWI patrols across Minnesota
Extra DWI patrols on MN roads for New Year's Eve
Law enforcement is urging everyone to prioritize safety while ringing in the New Year, with increased DWI patrols planned across Minnesota roads. FOX 9's Bill Keller has more on Metro Transit's adjustments for New Year's Eve and discounts offered by rideshare companies.
The big picture: Paying for a Metro Transit ticket or using a rideshare to get home is still far cheaper than the cost of getting arrested for a DWI.
New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for law enforcement as they patrol the roads for intoxicated drivers. There will be an increase in patrols on Minnesota roads in the final push of the statewide effort to crack down on impaired drivers this holiday season.
Law enforcement is reminding drivers to be responsible and drive sober in hopes of preventing tragedies on the roads.