Metro wants to make sure you stay safe as you ring in 2023: The transit authority is making all rides on trains and buses free after 8 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Service will also be extended until 2 a.m. on New Year's Day, to make sure everyone celebrating New Year's Eve has ample opportunity to get home safe.
If you ride the rails, or the bus, this New Year's Eve, you won't need to tap your SmarTrip card after 8 p.m.
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"Traveling by train and bus is the safest way to celebrate New Year's Eve and avoid drinking and driving in the region," said General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. "Eliminating costs and extending services are easy steps we can take to give people the power to choose Metro as their safe way to enjoy all the region has to offer."
Metro hopes that by making rides free on a day known for its boozy celebrations, there will be fewer accidents and fatalities on the roads.
"D.C. is open, people are excited to go out on New Year's Eve, and now there will be a safe and free way to get to and from all the events that are happening across the city," said Mayor Muriel Bowser. "There's a lot to be grateful for this holiday season, and we are certainly grateful to have a safe, clean and reliable public transportation system taking us into the New Year."
But this is one of those good things that can't last forever -- on Jan 1, 2023, at 4 a.m. for Metrobus and 7 a.m. on the trains, fares and service hours go back to normal.
