LOS ANGELES — Residents of Southern California can take advantage of free or discounted rides on public transportation starting Tuesday as local transit agencies offer services to ring in the new year.
Starting at 4 a.m., LA Metro will offer free rides on its rail and bus services. No fares will be collected until 3 a.m. Jan. 1.
The agency will also provide extended 24-hour service on its rail lines — A, B, D and E only — while lines C and K will run into 2 a.m.
Customers can also receive free rides on Metro Micro, its rideshare service, using the code Ring25 on Dec. 31, Metro officials said.
Through Jan. 1, Metro Bike Share will be free for the first 30 minutes of the ride. Customers can redeem their free ride by selecting "1-Ride" at any Metro Bike Share kiosk, online or in the Metro Bike Share app. The ride can be redeemed multiple times using promo code 010125.
For residents in Orange County, the OC Transportation Authority will offer free bus rides for its fixed routes, starting from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 to 2:30 a.m. Jan. 1. No special passes will be required.
"OC Bus offers a safe and reliable way to reach popular destinations around Orange County, including ... Downtown Fullerton, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and more," OCTA said in a statement.
People planning to travel before 6 p.m. will be asked to pay the regular $2 fare — but OCTA pointed out that youth and college students already enjoy free rides under the Youth Ride Free pass (for riders age 6-18) and the College Pass, which is available to students at all nine Orange County community colleges.
LA Metro is expected to add early morning trains on its A Line on Jan. 1 to help people arrive on time for the annual Rose Bowl Parade. Metro's A, C, E and K light rail lines will run their usual 10-minute services during the day.
Customers can connect to Metro's A Line at Union Station in downtown LA for easy access to the parade route.
Metrolink will be adding early-morning trains on the Ventura County, Orange County and 91/Perris Valley lines on New Year's Day, as well as adjusting service on the Antelope Valley and San Bernardino lines so that trains arrive at Union Station between 7 and 7:30 a.m.
After the parade, floats are displayed near Victory Park in Pasadena. LA Metro will offer shuttle service from Sierra Madre Villa Station to the post-parade viewing area from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
On Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, the shuttle service from Sierra Madre Villa Station will run from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Regular fare will apply with free transfers to and from other bus services when using a TAP card.
The full Rose Parade service schedule is available here.
Meanwhile, Metrolink will offer its $10 Holiday Pass on New Year's Day, providing unlimited rides systemwide on the day of purchase.
The pass is available on the Metrolink mobile app or any station ticket machine under the "Special Event Tickets" option. Metrolink ticketholders will get free transfers to many local public transit operators, including LA Metro buses and rail lines.