Too much holiday? Here’s your guide to getting a ride in Dallas-Fort Worth this season
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but not if you’ve had too much to drink at a Christmas or New Year’s celebration.
More Texans are expected to drive this holiday season compared to last year, as travel nears pre-pandemic levels, according to AAA Texas. And Tarrant County officials are urging drivers to have a backup plan if they know they’ll be drinking at holiday gatherings.
Instead of driving, they’re encouraging you to carpool with a sober friend, taking a taxi or ride share, or using mass transit. That could be especially important in the event of adverse weather.
Driving while intoxicated is one of the most committed crimes in the county, with 5,122 cases through Dec. 15. according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. A first DWI offense is a Class B misdemeanor, which comes with a fine of up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.
Under the no refusal rule effective every day year-round, drivers pulled over for suspected impaired driving who refuse to take a breath test will have to take a court-ordered blood test.
“There is no excuse for driving while intoxicated, not anymore when there are so many ways people can get home that don’t require getting behind the wheel,” Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson said in a statement.
So what are some alternatives to driving yourself after drinking this holiday season?
The Star-Telegram put together some free and reduced price options so that you can safely spread some holiday cheer.
Catch a ride on a train or bus
After your New Year’s eve party, you can get a free ride on any DART paratransit, DART local buses, rail and TRE commuter rail service up to and including CentrePort Rail Station..
The offer begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 until the end of service.
“You can count on DART to be your designated driver home as you ring in the New Year,” said Gordon Shattles, a DART spokesperson.
Look for the best route at dart.org/schedules.
Trinity Metro is likewise offering discounted fares through Dec. 31. Fares are $1 for one-way bus rides, $2 for one-way paratransit rides, and half-price for multi-ride tickets. Multi-ride tickets cost $1.25 for one day, $6.25 for seven days, and $20 for 30 days.
Have a car pick you up
Aside from getting a ride with a designated driver or taking an Uber or Lyft, residents can take the Via ride share service to get on-demand transit. The van service, which costs $5 or less, expanded this year to cover the whole city of Arlington.
The Via platform will route you and other passengers to stops within a couple of blocks for pickup and dropoff, so multiple passengers headed in the same direction can share a single vehicle.
Download the via application to your phone or call 817-784-7382 to book your ride. The service operates between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
The cost of your trip will depend on the distance, with a minimum of $3 for rides up to 1.5 miles and a maximum of $5 for those over 6 miles. . You can also get a weekly ViaPass for $15 to $25, which allows for up to four trips per day from Monday to Saturday.
Find a detailed list of pricing at arlingtontx.gov/via.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 2:47 PM.
