ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is providing safe rides for those ringing in 2023 with free fares on OC Bus from 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 to 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1.

Riding OC Bus is a safe and easy way to get to popular destinations around Orange County, including bus routes that operate near Downtown Fullerton, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and more.

The free bus rides, which have been offered for most of the past 20 years, resumed last year after taking a year off because of health concerns related to COVID-19. The health and safety of passengers and coach operators remains the top priority for OCTA, with buses still carrying free hand sanitizer and face masks to those passengers who want them.

Those who choose to go out to mark the New Year are encouraged to consider taking advantage of the free bus service to help celebrate responsibly.

Those planning to ride the bus this New Year’s Eve are encouraged to plan their trip ahead of time by visiting www.OCBus.com.

​Free rides begin at 6 p.m., so those getting a start prior to that time must pay the $2 bus fare or use an OC Bus pass. Tens of thousands of youth and college students already have access to free OC Bus rides via the Youth Ride Free and College Pass programs, which expanded to all nine Orange County community colleges earlier this year.

To date, the free service to safely ring in each new year has recorded more than 162,000 boardings since it began in 2002.

About OCTA:

The Orange County Transportation Authority is the county transportation planning commission, responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for a balanced and sustainable transportation system that reflects the diverse travel needs of the county’s 34 cities and 3.2 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail and active transportation. To sign up for more OCTA news, visit octa.net/GetConnected.