King County Metro offering free rides on New Year’s Eve
Dec 27, 2018, 5:54 AM | Updated: 6:14 am
New Year’s Eve can make for some tough transportation situations around the city. With that in mind, King County Metro is offering free rides for all customers starting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31.
RELATED: 305 DUIs issued in King County over holiday season
That’s right — it’s free to ride the bus in King County on New Year’s Eve. The promotion encompasses DART, Access service, and the Seattle Streetcar. Metro will also add buses to its night routes, with Seattle Streetcars in operation until 1 a.m.
Sound Transit Link light rail between Angle Lake and UW will be extending service to 2 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1.
“As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a news release. “We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year ’round.”
King County Metro will be operating on a reduced weekday schedule for some routes on New Year’s Eve, while extra buses will serve several routes and destinations, including Seattle Center, Capitol Hill, and downtown.
You can see details on schedules for specific routes here.
There’s currently no word on promotional deals for Uber, Lyft, or other transportation services, but if past years are any indication, customers can likely expect increased peak hour rates the closer you get to midnight. Uber is already advising its drivers that New Year’s is prime drive time. Uber has noted a few trends from previous New Year’s Eve drives:
- There is a spike in ride requests around 8 p.m. before a considerable drop at 11 p.m.
- The second spike in ride requests comes between midnight and 3 a.m.
- Uber is offering drivers $15 if they find a lost item in their car and return it to the owner.
And while it likely goes without saying, do not attempt to operate a vehicle if you’re under the influence on New Year’s Eve. With more than 300 DUI arrests by King County patrols since Black Friday, law enforcement has been cracking down over the holiday season.
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