Bus Rides Free For New Years Eve

MCTS bus wrapped by Miller Lite for New Years Eve. Photo courtesy Molson Coors.

Beginning at 8 p.m., all Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) buses will be free to ride.

Bus service on New Year’s Eve is sponsored by Molson Coors through its annual free rides program to make it easier to get home without driving on one of the biggest drinking nights of the year. The program is in its 37th year and has provided nearly 10 million free rides to revelers across the country, according to the brewing conglomerate.

All bus routes will be free to ride from 8 p.m. until the end of regular service — sometime after 1 a.m. A handful of routes will continue providing free rides into the wee hours of the morning, as the city allows taverns to stay open past 2 a.m. for the holiday.

“MCTS is an integral part of how Milwaukee stays connected, and we’re proud to partner with them once again to help people get home safely this New Year’s Eve,” said Alison Hanrahan, community affairs manager, Molson Coors.

Hard-core celebrants will have until 4 a.m. to catch a ride home on the following routes: Connect 1, Route 14, Route 24, Route 30, PurpleLine, GreenLine and Blueline. Additionally, segments of Route 14 (Bayshore to N. 17th and W. Wisconsin Ave.) and 21 (Mayfair Mall to E. North Ave. and the water tower) will operate until 4 a.m.

“To continue to provide Milwaukeeans with transportation they can trust, MCTS is once again teaming up with Miller Lite to offer free rides across the county on New Year’s Eve,” said MCTS President and CEO Steve Fuentes. “Locals and visitors alike can count on MCTS for a safe and reliable free ride to start the year off right. Whether you’re celebrating in the heart of Cream City or taking in the nightlife at any one of the county’s 19 municipalities, MCTS will get you there safely to ring in the new year!”