How to get home safely on New Year’s in Colorado

Photo: Denver New Year's Celebration (AP Photo)
Partygoers celebrate the start of a new year during a Prohibition-era themed New Year's Eve party on Jan. 1, 2014.

Coloradans have no shortage of ways to ring in the new year tonight. They have plenty of options to get home safely after the confetti has fallen and the champagne is gone, too. And with law enforcement stepping up efforts to catch drunk drivers, there's no excuse to get behind the wheel after you've had too much to drink.

Public transportation

If you're in Denver, RTD is offering free light rail and bus service on its entire system from 7 p.m. New Year's Eve to 6 a.m. New Year's Day. However, it's sticking to its normal schedule for Wednesday and switching to a Sunday schedule for New Year's Day. That means many buses and all trains will stop running around 1 a.m. Plan accordingly, and check RTD's website for specific schedules for your route.

Uber and Lyft

If you're in Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Denver, or Boulder, you can also use your smart phone to snag a ride home through services like Uber and Lyft. Expect to shell out a few extra dollars though -- Uber and Lyft both say they will use surge pricing tonight. The busiest (and priciest) times will be from 7-10 p.m. and 12:30-2 a.m. Uber recommends requesting your ride right at midnight or sticking it out until the bitter end to avoid extra fees.

Designated driver services

These Denver-area services will drive you -- and your car -- back home at the end of the night.

Denver Roadies: 303-733-3773
The Party Poopers: 720-298-5894

Call a cab

Use the TaxiFinder app to find a cab near you and estimate the fare. Or just pick up the phone:

Denver, Boulder:
Metro Taxi: 303-333-3333
Yellow Cab: 303-777-7777
United Taxi Cooperative: 303-922-2222

Fort Collins, Greeley:
Yellow Cab: 970-224-2222

Colorado Springs:
Yellow Cab: 719-777-7777

Grand Junction:
Sunshine Taxi: 970-245-8294
K2 Taxi: 970-242-4652