The Chicago Transit Authority announced Thursday it will again offer free rides to passengers for a few hours beginning on New Year’s Eve.
The annual effort is intended to promote a safe and responsible holiday celebration.
From 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 through 4 a.m. on Jan. 1, CTA riders won’t need to touch their Ventra or personal bankcards at rail stations turnstiles or while boarding buses, according to a CTA statement.
Signs will be posted to remind passengers of the free rides, CTA said.
“It is my sincere hope the availability of safe, free rides on the CTA this New Year’s Eve will mean a healthy, happy holiday for all Chicagoans,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a statement. “We wish all riders a safe and happy New Year and encourage them to allow CTA to take the wheel tonight.”
As in previous years, no refunds will be issued to customers who elect to touch their fare cards or use other forms of payment during the period. This is the eighth consecutive year that MillerCoors is sponsoring the free ride program.
Passengers traveling to and from events before 10 p.m. are advised to purchase fares or reload their Ventra cards in advance to avoid long lines at rail station vending machines, CTA said. Fare may be added via the free Ventra app, online, at rail stations, or at nearly 900 local retailers.
