GREAT FALLS — On New Year's Eve, there are plenty of ways to celebrate - and there are also several ways to make sure you get home safely.
The Cascade County Tavern Association will provide safe and free rides home using their shuttles and also SUVs donated for the evening by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
The Tavern Association does fund-raising throughout the year to be able to provides these rides for free on New Year’s Eve.
Last year the association was able to provide over 100 rides throughout Great Falls.
According to the association they had an average of three people per ride, meaning that more than 300 people that otherwise would have been on the road last New Year’s Eve.
John Hayes, director of the Cascade County Tavern Association, said, “We want people to go out and have a great time, but we also want them to plan ahead and make sure how they are going to get home.”
Ask your bartender to contact the home safe ride dispatch and they will coordinate the ride from there.
Hayes also says if someone is in trouble and needs a ride do not hesitate to call 406-453-9567.
Blacked out 406 Taxi is going to be running their regular fare service tonight as well as accepting vouchers from the home safe program.
If the bar you are at participates in the home safe vouchers the bartender can contact the taxi company to organize a ride either home or to another establishment.
Owner of Blacked Out 406 Taxi Ryan Perrin says the main goal of tonight is to make sure patrons get where they are going safely whether it is to and from a bar, or someone on their way to work.
Perrin says, "That bar crowd goes over into people that are just trying to get to work safely. It’s nice to know that you’re out there making it a little more safe for everybody."
The Great Falls Police Department is also urging people to take steps to get home safely; they included the following information in a Facebook post on Tuesday:
🚓 Ask your bartender to help...the Cascade County Tavern Association is hosting the annual New Year's Eve Home Safe Program
🚓 BlackedOut 406 Taxi 406-781-5218 or download their app here https://qrgo.page.link/Xr4TV
🚓 Uber Great Falls MT Download the app here https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/
🚓 Designate a sober driver, often alcohol-free beverages are free for DDs
