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 increase patrols to keep impaired drivers off Colorado roads.
Molson Coors Beverage Company is again partnering with the Regional Transportation District to offer fare-free trips on buses and trains in the Denver area from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The brewer said in a news release that the number of people participating in the New Year’s Eve program has increased 36% over the past three years. Molson Coors is simultaneously sponsoring similar programs in Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Washington.
“In collaboration with RTD, we are looking forward to fostering community and fellowship as we ring in the new year,” Molson Coors community affairs manager Alison Hanrahan said in the release.
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 Tuesday — many won’t operate after 11:59 p.m.
The agency wrote in a news release 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 also will 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.
Starting at 8 p.m., the L-Line will halt operations for the night, with the 43 bus offering an alternative transportation option for riders. The D- and H-Line trains will stop running north of Theatre District-Convention Center Station at the same time.
For people 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 offering a $7 credit for riders statewide who use the code SAFECO24 in the Uber app through Wednesday.
At the same time, law enforcement agencies will be increasing patrols and implementing sobriety checkpoints across the state to catch impaired drivers.
Colorado’s Department of Transportation reports that the annual DUI enforcement effort involving the State Patrol and dozens of police departments and sheriff’s offices resulted in 239 arrests last year.
So far this year, 190 people have died in crashes involving impaired drivers, representing 30% of all traffic fatalities in the state, according to CDOT.
“Before heading out to a bar or party this holiday, take a minute to make a plan,” Col. Matthew Packard, chief of State Patrol, said in a news release. “It could save your life. It could save a loved one’s life.”
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