Don't risk it: MCTS "Miller Lite Free Rides," SafeRide program can get you home safe this NYE
MILWAUKEE -- People across Milwaukee County once again have a safe and free way to ring in 2016. For the 28th year in a row, MCTS is teaming up with Miller Lite and Beer Capitol Distributing to offer free rides on all MCTS routes.
Beginning at 8:00 p.m. Thursday evening, December 31st, MCTS bus routes will run its 13 most popular routes until 4:00 a.m. Friday morning, January 1st.
The 13 extended routes include GoldLine, GreenLine, RedLine, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 30 and 80.
This is an effort to keep roadways clear of drunk drivers.
No one wants to ring in the new year with a ride in the back of a squad car.
"You want to have a happy and safe New Year. You don't want to be chained to a bench in some municipality," Lorie Helm, president of the MCHA, a chapter of the Tavern League of Wisconsin said.
If you're planning to party it up on New Year's Eve, it's important to plan ahead.
MCTS Miller Lite Free Rides
"Leave your car at home. Leave your keys at home. Go out, celebrate, do whatever you might do -- but take the bus home and you'll get home safely. We have about 60 routes -- so any of those," Brendan Conway, MCTS spokesman said. "If you're going to be downtown Milwaukee or really at a lot of the popular spots on the north side, the south side, as far north as like Bayshore, as far south as down towards the airport into Oak Creek and as far west as Brookfield Square Mall -- we're running those until 4:00 a.m."
MCTS Miller Lite Free Rides
In 2014, the Miller Life Free Rides program and MCTS provided more than 11,000 free rides to people on New Year's Eve. Since 1987 the program has provided more than one million people in the Milwaukee community with safe transportation alternatives on holidays and during local events.
For more information on routes and schedules, CLICK HERE.
Another option for those looking for a free, safe ride home -- the SafeRide program.
Customers at nearly 100 restaurants and taverns in Milwaukee County can assure themselves a safe trip home on New Year's Eve via the SafeRide program, a free transportation service offered by the Milwaukee County Hospitality Association.
Simply by alerting a bartender, server or other wait staff, a customer will be given a voucher good for a free ride home. The participating establishment will call a taxi or other private transportation service to provide the ride. The customer need only sit back, relax, and know that they made the right decision to not take chances. SafeRide is available year-round.
"The SafeRide program's goal is to improve safety on our roads by offering an easy alternative for people to get home," said Helm. "If a person is unsure whether to drive or not, we want to make it an easy decision to err on the side of safety."
SafeRide program
Participating businesses in the SafeRide program will have on-premise signage highlighting availability of the service. The SafeRide voucher is for $25, with $2 built in as a driver tip;the user pays for any fare above $23, and is also encouraged to add a driver gratuity.
“Those who engage in the irresponsible and dangerous behavior of drinking too much alcohol and then getting behind the wheel of an automobile pose a serious threat to the safety of all motorists,” said Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. “Drunk driving is not a mistake. People make a decision to drink too much alcohol and then drive. Drunk driving is a preventable crime.”
Clarke advised those going out on New Year’s to have a plan before anyone begins drinking: 1) Choose a sober, valid-licensed designated driver; 2) Call for a taxi or take advantage of free bus rides; 3) Make use of the SafeRide program available at participating taverns and restaurants.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is adding SafeRide decals to its new marked vehicle setups. Its patrol vehicles have sported the decal in prior years as a reminder about the program.
More than 82,000 people used the SafeRide program statewide in 2014, helping prevent an untold number of potential accidents and suffering. The program is paid for by surcharges connected to drunken driving convictions, and funds raised by local tavern leagues.