Freebies

Take Advantage of the Last Day for Free Metro Rides

Metro and Reliant have partnered together to offer three days of free rides, ending tonight.

By Emily Juhasz February 1, 2017

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Heads up Houstonians, today is the last day for unlimited free rides on all three Metro Rail lines.

Just last Monday, Metro announced that they would be offering extended hours (past midnight) and complimentary rides, courtesy of Reliant Energy, an NRG company, from January 30 through February 1. With the big game right around the corner, Houston is seeing a flood of traffic in popular neighborhoods, such as Downtown, Midtown, EaDo and more.

In order to ease the burden of traffic, Reliant Energy teamed up with Metro to offer locals and tourists alike the opportunity to travel around Houston and experience many of the Super Bowl events, completely gratis. All payment kiosks are covered and have signs to notify customers of the free rides, according to Jerome Gray, vice president and senior press office of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.

Many events are within walking distance of the Metro Rail lines, including the NFL Experience, Game City Showcase and Super Bow Live, to name a few.

Though, one big question remains on everyone’s mind: Why not offer the free rides throughout the rest of the week? For the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, the answer was simple: Offering unlimited free Metro rides at the beginning of the week provided Houstonians with the opportunity to experience some of the great events happening right in our own backyard, before the out-of-towners arrive.

“One of the great things we’ve seen through events such as the Super Bowl is how Houstonians learn about the public transport system in Houston,” says Gray. “For many, it is their first time experiencing the public transport offered and it is through these events that they become more comfortable using it.”

Although Metro’s free rides are only offered through today, there are still several options for you to save on transportation costs. Houston Bcycle is providing one-hour free rides from locations in Downtown and Montrose to locations in Fourth Ward and Midtown. And, thanks to the organizers of Game City Showcase, first-time Uber riders can receive $20 off their ride to any Super Bowl event by simply using the promotion code “GAMECITYHOU”.

Be sure to plan ahead of time when traveling this week, and download the RideMetro app and Super Bowl LI apps to stay in the know this weekend.

 

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