New Year’s Revelers Can Take the Bus Free

For the first time, the Orange County Transportation Authority will offer free bus service on New Year’s Eve and the early hours of New Year’s Day to help provide safe travel for the holiday.

Rides will be available on 55 regularly scheduled routes from 6 p.m. to midnight today. Between 11:30 tonight and 4 a.m. Wednesday, riders won’t have to pay to use OCTA’s Night Owl runs on the four routes along major county thoroughfares.

“We want to provide a service to help ensure that local residents can travel safely to and from their New Year’s celebrations,” said Tim Keenan, chairman of the OCTA board of directors. “We hope to make free New Year’s bus service a tradition,” he said.

OCTA officials said the four Night Owl routes serve some Orange County destinations where public New Year’s events are being held, such as Disneyland, Edison Field, the Anaheim Pond, The Block in Orange, and downtown Fullerton.

Route 43 runs north-south between Fullerton and Costa Mesa via Harbor Boulevard. Route 50 runs east-west between Long Beach and Orange via Katella Avenue.

Route 57 links Brea and Newport Beach along State College Boulevard and Bristol Street. Route 60 runs east-west between Long Beach and Santa Ana, along 17th Street and Westminster Boulevard.

For holiday bus schedules and more details, visit OCTA’s Web site at www.octa.net, or call (714) 636-RIDE.

In Los Angeles County, the Metropolitan Transit Authority will offer free rides on its bus and rail systems New Year’s Eve.

The Metro Rail subway system will be free from 9 p.m. until closing, usually about 1:30 a.m. Free rides on the bus system will be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.