(Dec. 29, 2017) With so many Portlanders eager to mark the end of 2017 and ring in the New Year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has created a new program to discourage impaired driving: Safe Ride Home. The Safe Ride Home initiative makes it easy to celebrate responsibly by providing Portlanders with free and discounted travel options.
The Safe Ride Home is offering people the following discounted travel options on New Year’s Eve:
- A $20 savings on rides with Broadway Cab, New Rose City Cab, Radio Cab, and United Independent Cab PDX. Coupons will be available for pickup on New Year's Eve in Old Town from the Portland Police Bureau and Old Town Hospitality Group. Riders must use the Broadway Cab app (Android/iOS) for the Broadway Cab discount.
- A $10 savings rides with Lyft and Uber. Riders can access the discount by entering the promo code VISIONZERO into their apps.
- Free TriMet and Portland Streetcar rides after 8 p.m. MAX trains will run until about 3 a.m. Details about TriMet service on New Year's Eve can be found at https://trimet.org/nye/.
Impaired driving is a major contributor to death and injury on Portland streets. More than half of deadly crashes in Portland involve people who are intoxicated. Safe Ride Home helps to achieve the City of Portland’s Vision Zero Action Plan’s goal of launching initiatives to reduce impaired driving.
"With over 50 percent of deadly crashes in Portland involving people who are intoxicated, it is imperative that we educate people about the importance of choosing a safe ride home," said Transportation Director Leah Treat. "We are pleased to work with our colleagues at the Portland Police Bureau, TriMet and with taxi and transportation network companies to help Portlanders get to and from their festivities safely on New Year’s Eve."
"As we prepare to greet 2018, I want to remind everyone to drive sober," said Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw. "If you plan to consume intoxicants, find a designated sober driver, use public transportation or hire a ride. Help keep Portland’s roadways and community members safe so everyone can have a healthy and happy New Year.”
The Safe Ride Home program is a partnership between PBOT, the Portland Police Bureau, TriMet, Old Town Hospitality Group, and Portland cab companies Radio Cab, Broadway Cab, New Rose City Cab and United Independent Cab, as well as transportation network companies Lyft and Uber.
People can RSVP to Safe Ride Home on Facebook at www.facebook.com/events/182084272374547/
Learn more about the City of Portland’s Vision Zero program at www.visionzeroportland.com