New Year's Eve Traffic In Austin Area: Plenty Of Ways To Get Home Safely

AUSTIN, TX — Several options will be available in the Austin area to ditch the car and get home safe in case of New Year's Eve overindulgence.

As they do each year, towing companies are getting into the act. AAA Texas is offering a "tipsy tow" service, offering to transport cars for free on the first 10 miles, with regular rates applicable thereafter. Those needing the service can call (or have someone call for them) 1-800-222-4357 or 1-800-AAA-HELP, for a free tow up to ten miles. This service is available starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday through 6 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

Serving the aresas of North Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown, Bulldog Towing and Recover also will offer its "tipsy tow" service. Call (512) 402-4006 for more information.

The city's mass transit system will be offering free rides on New Year's Day. Its night owl service will run more frequently, with buses arriving every 15 to 20 minutes. MetroRail service will be expanded, with the last downtown train scheduled to leave at 2:30 a.m. MetroRapid will be running later as well, with final departures along Guadalupe and Lavaca scheduled at 2:30 a.m.

Additionally, CapMetro's five Night Owl routes will run from Sixth Street and Congress Avenue every 15 minutes from midnight to 3 a.m.

For regular riders, take note: Local MetroBus service will operate on a Saturday schedule New Year’s Eve, in order to allow riders greater late-night travel options to and from celebrations. E-Buses and UT Shuttles will not be in service for late-night transport.

For more information on Capital Metro, including schedule information and the Go Line, click here.

The J. Reyna Law Firm is offering a "Sober Cab Ride Program," reimbursing those taking a cab home up to $30 of the fare. Drivers must have submitted their taxicab receipt by Jan. 3, 2017.

"To show our commitment to keeping fellow Texan's safe from drunk driving incidents and injuries, we're offering a free ride home this New Year's!" officials write on the law firm's website. "We want everyone to enjoy a fun and safe New Years!"

Just because Uber and Lyft left the Austin market over their refusal to have their drivers submit to fingerprint checks (it's a long story for those of you who don't know this; click here) doesn't mean there aren't other ride-sharing options.

Here's a list of other ride-sharing apps you might want to ready ahead of your New Year's Eve celebration: FARE; Fasten; GetMe; RideAustin; Wingz; zTrip.

It can't be stressed enough: Do not drink and drive, ever. The New Year's holiday period is among the deadliest times of the year given the abundance of drunk drivers. Police will be out in full force to curb impaired driving, with the added enforcement tool of bench warrants, meaning that they can forcefully draw blood to test for intoxication for drivers not willing to volunteer a sample or blow into a breathalyzer.

If anything, have a designated driver for the night. If not, check out the above options.

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