King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove introduced legislation to advocate for free and expanded public transportation service on the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve holidays to reduce drunk driving. Last year, the Washington State Patrol made 24 arrests for driving under the influence on New Year’s Eve and 223 arrests over a five-day period around the Fourth of July.
“We want to make it easy for people to make the right decision and leave their car at home as they ring in the New Year or celebrate the Fourth of July,” said Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. “Ensuring that buses and trains run late into the evening on these holidays makes everyone safer.”
Several other cities and counties across the country offer free transit service on New Year’s Eve including Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, and San Francisco, among others.
“Everyone should have the freedom to travel around our city safely at night. Extending transit service and making rides free on popular late-night holidays will help make sure that everyone can enjoy the festivities, and make it home afterward,” said Katie Wilson, organizer for the Transit Rider’s Union.
The legislation is tentatively scheduled to be heard in the King County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment committee on March 7th.
