L.A. Metro will offer free rides on bus and rail lines on New Year’s Eve

Hoping to increase safety and reduce traffic congestion, L.A. Metro will help locals ring in 2023 by again offering free rides on bus and rail lines on New Year’s Eve.

Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Metro buses and trains will not collect fares. The free rides will continue until 2 a.m. Jan. 1.

The free rides have been an annual service offered by L.A. Metro to help reduce traffic during the busy holiday and “help everyone travel safely during the holidays.”

In a statement, L.A. Metro announced it will also add rail trains between midnight and 1 p.m. in anticipation of more riders due to New Year’s Eve celebrations. Trains will run about every 20 minutes after 8 p.m.

The Orange County Transportation Authority will also provide free rides on New Year’s Eve. Buses in the county won’t charge fares starting at 6 p.m. Saturday until 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the agency said.

Given late-night celebrations, New Year’s Eve tends to be a busy night for law enforcement.

Last year, the California Highway Patrol reported that officers made 263 DUI arrests on New Year’s Eve, about an 8% increase compared with the previous year. According to the CHP, 29 people were killed in crashes that holiday weekend.