How to get a free or discounted ride on New Year's Eve

December 31, 2018

How to get a free or discounted ride on New Year's Eve

Business Insider has rounded up deals for free and discounted rides this New Year's Eve.
Uber and Lyft are both offering discounts in locations across the US, with many public transit agencies also offering free fares.

There are more reasons than ever to avoid drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve this year.

From public transit agencies to ride-hailing services and AAA’s traditional safe-ride program, free rides abound to help get you home safely and legally.

Business Insider has rounded up some of the offers for this holiday:

Uber

There aren’t completely free rides like for Election Day. But the company is still making it easier to get home in someone else’s car more cheaply.

Depending on your city, there is likely a discount code worth anywhere from $10 for first-time users to $35. A partnership with Miller Lite is worth $15 for new customers with the code MILLERTIME18.

In Detroit, you can be reimbursed up to $35 for rides between 4 pm on December 31 until 4pm on New Year’s Day, easily the biggest discount available, thanks to a local law firm. Details here.

A similar — but slightly less lucrative — deal is available in Oklahoma City as part of the state’s Drive Sober campaign.

Lyft

Uber’s smaller competitor has teamed up with local organizations across the country to offer promo codes and discounts for New Year’s Eve.

Participating locations include Texas , Arizona, Louisiana, Chicago, Oregon, and Kentucky.

Public Transportation

A slew of subway and bus agencies are making trips free for holiday revelers:

Los Angeles: Free MetroRail and MetroBus rides from 5 pm through the end of service at 2 am.
Austin, Texas: Free MetroBus, Rail and Rapid rides from 5 pm on New Year’s Eve until 2:30 am
Chicago: All CTA train and bus routes from 10 pm on December 31 through 4 am.
San Francisco: Muni will be free from 8 pm to 5 am. Details on specific route changes are available on the MTA website. BART will run a normal weekday service extended to 3 am
Minneapolis: Free train and bus rides from 6 pm through 3 am on all Metro Transit routes.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Free rides on all MCTA bus routes from 8 pm until service ends.
Dallas: All DART buses, light rail and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) are free, with no coupons needed, from 6 pm until the end of service. Some lines may have reduced service because of the holiday.