Planning for New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles can be a challenge considering the steep party prices and crazy holiday traffic. So why not take advantage of Metro’s holiday free rides to help ring in 2018? You’ll be able to save some cash and get home safely if you opt to overindulge in libations.

On New Year’s Eve, all Metro Rail lines will run 24-hour service alongside Owl bus service. (The Orange Line and Silver Line already offer 24-hour service!) There will also be enhanced evening service for those heading out to New Year’s Eve events, and no fare will be charged from 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) until 2 a.m. Monday morning New Year’s Day (Jan. 1). The fare gates at all Metro Rail stations will be unlatched during this time. After 2 a.m., customers must TAP to ride.

If you’re in downtown L.A. before the ball drops, head over to Grand Park + The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. celebration. Show your TAP card at any information booth for a free pair of 2018 party glasses!  You can get there easily by taking the Metro Red or Purple Line to Civic Center/Grand Park Station, or grab a Metro Bike. Please note: the Temple Street exit will be reserved for families with strollers or customers with disabilities. All others must exit using 1st Street. If you want to avoid a crowded station and don’t mind a short walk, consider using Union Station or Pershing Square Station.

New Year’s Eve at the Waterfront is taking place in Long Beach at Rainbow Harbor. The free family-friendly event runs from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and is just a short walk from the Blue Line’s Downtown Long Beach Station. There will be plenty of entertainment including live music, jugglers, face painting, food and more. The firework show begins at 9 p.m. Blue Line trains will run every 12 minutes throughout the night.

Metro will also run enhanced service for the New Year’s Eve Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers game with Expo Line trains arriving every 6 minutes. The Chargers will play the Oakland Raiders at the Stubhub Center in Carson on New Year’s Eve. Catch the Chargers Express shuttle at the Blue Line Del Amo Station or at Harbor Gateway Transit Center to get to the football game.

Once again, rides are free only between 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve through 2 a.m. Anyone boarding a Metro train or bus after 2 a.m. must TAP to ride. Be sure to check our holiday fares page for more information.

We hope you found this post helpful as you plan your year-end festivities. Please be safe and cheers to a happy New Year!