Denver residents can grab free rides on New Year’s Eve

Denver Residents Offered Free Rides Home on New Year’s Eve

Denver residents looking for a safe ride to or from New Year’s Eve festivities can catch a free bus, train, or ride-hail home, while police step up patrols to keep impaired drivers off Colorado roads.

Molson Coors Beverage Company is partnering with the Regional Transportation District to offer fare-free trips on buses and trains in the Denver metro from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday. The program has seen a 36% increase in participation over the past three years and is also being sponsored in cities like Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.

“In collaboration with RTD, we are looking forward to fostering community and fellowship as we ring in the New Year,” said Molson Coors community affairs manager Alison Hanrahan.

Revelers can visit RTD’s website, use the agency’s Next Ride app or call RTD’s Customer Care Division at 303-299-6000 to learn when the last buses and trains will run during the holiday — many won’t operate after 11:59 p.m.

The agency announced that the D, H, and L light rail lines will be inactive during downtown Denver’s two fireworks shows, launching over the 16th Street Mall at 9 p.m. and midnight. Free MallRide buses will also stand still during the fireworks shows, and the last MallRide buses will leave Denver Union Station at 11:52 p.m. and Civic Center Station at 12:20 a.m.

For metro residents who prefer to take an Uber or Lyft, the Wilhite Law Firm is offering to reimburse riders with a credit for a one-way trip home. Interested members of the public can apply for the credit through the firm’s website.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Colorado and Uber are also offering a $7 credit for riders statewide who use the code SAFECO24 in the Uber app from Dec. 25 through Jan. 1.