CTA and Metra offer free rides on New Year’s Eve – NBC Chicago

Chicago Transit Authority and Metra will offer passengers free rides on New Year’s Eve.

For “safe and reliable” travel, customers can board CTA buses and trains to take advantage of the offer from 10 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, the agency said.

CTA noted that travelers will not need to touch their Ventra or bank cards at station turnstiles or when boarding buses during the free ride period.

For those who end up taking CTA transportation outside of the time allowed for free rides, CTA recommends purchasing tickets in advance to reduce travel times and avoid long lines at stations.

All CTA bus and train services will operate on normal Saturday and Sunday schedules.

Metra said it will offer free travel on all trains arriving or departing from its downtown stations after 6 p.m. Saturday.

“Metra is here to provide a safe, convenient and reliable mode of transportation for everyone who wants to celebrate and need to travel this holiday night,” Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement.

The commuter rail system will operate on a Saturday New Year’s Eve schedule, but will hold the last outgoing trains on lines that operate until at least 1:15 a.m. Sunday. Alcohol will be banned on all trains after 7 p.m., Metra added.

“Family Fairs”, a promotion that allows up to three children to ride for free with every paying adult on the weekend, will be available through Saturday.