OC Offers Free NYE Bus Rides

OCEAN CITY – Following a New Year’s tradition, the Town of Ocean City is providing 24 hours of free bus rides from 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve to 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
During last Monday’s Mayor and City Council regular session, the Mayor and Council voted unanimously to approve a 24-hour free bus service on New Year’s Eve once again this year.
According to Superintendent of Transportation George Thornes, providing free bus service on New Year’s Eve is included in Ocean City’s Policy and Procedural manual dating back to 1996.
“Basically, it is in the interest of public safety to keep everyone safe whether it is pedestrians or someone behind the wheel,” Thornes said. “We provide this service hopefully to curb anything that could happen or might happen.”
The buses will be running their normal bus route moving south and north along Coastal Highway within the municipal limits of Ocean City. Buses will be deployed throughout New Year’s Eve and starting at 6 p.m. 12 additional buses will hit the streets to accommodate the night life’s crowds.
“We will have enough buses out where we will be increasing the level of service,” Thornes said.
Starting at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve morning until 6 p.m. that evening buses will be running every 20 minutes; from 6 p.m. until 4 p.m. the buses will be running every 10 minutes; 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. buses will be running every 30 minutes; and after 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day the buses will return to their normal operating schedule running every 40 minutes at $1 per boarding or $3 ride-all-day.
For more information, call the Ocean City Transportation Division at 410-723-1606.