Photo: Ford, Brad
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will offer discounted taxi, Lyft and Uber rides originating in the city of Portland as part of its Safe Ride Home program for Portlanders celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
PBOT wants you to get home safely from your St. Patrick's Day celebrations. We are providing a limited number of coupons for discounted rides: $20 off a taxi ride, or $10 off an Uber or Lyft ride.
“PBOT is committed to traffic safety and curbing impaired driving as part of our Vision Zero effort to end traffic deaths and serious injuries," PBOT Director Millicent Williams said. "We hope these discounts will encourage partygoers to travel safely by leaving their cars at home. This should serve as a reminder to everyone to travel safely, so we can all do our part to end traffic fatalities in Portland."
Impaired driving is a major contributor to death and injury on Portland streets, according to Portland Vision Zero Action Plan Update 2023-25.
Sixty-nine percent of deadly crashes between 2017 and 2021 involved alcohol and/or drug impairment. In that same period, 430 people died or suffered life-altering injuries due to impairment. In these crashes, 79% of the drivers were impaired. Learn more about top contributing factors at the PBOT Vision Zero website.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest days on our nation's roads. During the St. Patrick's Day holiday period, from March 16-18, 272 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes between 2017 and 2021, across the nation. In 2021, 41 of the 47 traffic fatalities involving an impaired driver during the holiday period occurred in the nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.).
PBOT has offered Safe Ride Home travel options on New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, Brewers Festival, and Halloween. The first Safe Ride Home Event was on New Year's Eve 2017.
The Safe Ride Home program is funded by the taxi permit fees and the 50-cent fee charged for every Uber and Lyft ride in Portland. The fee also covers safety inspections and the PDX WAV program that makes accessible on-demand vehicles available to people with wheelchairs or mobility devices in Portland.
RSVP to Safe Ride Home at PBOT's Facebook event page.
Learn more about the City of Portland’s Vision Zero program at the PBOT Vision Zero website.
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation