For the first time since December 2016, WMATA will be sending riders into the new year with free trips on Metrorail and Metrobus. All rides on both services will be free after 8 PM in an effort to provide safe alternatives to drinking and driving on one of the most notorious nights for drunk driving-related fatalities. Services will also continue until 2 AM, and riders won’t even need to tap their SmarTrip passes during the late-night service. Fares will resume on January 1 at 4 AM for Metrobus and at 7 AM for Metrorail.
“We want our customers to be safe as they celebrate the start of 2023,” Metro board chair Paul Smedberg said in a statement. “We hope customers will take advantage of this offer as we look to start 2023 with less accidents and fatalities on our roadways.”
Metro isn’t the only free option for getting around town without stepping behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve. The nonprofit WRAP will also be providing free Lyft rides up to $15 via their SoberRide program from December 16 to January 1. You’ll be able to find the Lyft promo codes here as we enter their holiday window. Also, the LA-based rideshare company Lexna will once again be partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to provide free rides in DC and other cities around the country on New Year’s Eve. A representative said that details will be released in the coming days about how to score a free ride on their website.
