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MDOT offering rideshare credits ahead of holiday weekend

Lyft expanding ride coverage to rural areas in 32 states including Maryland, Pennsylvania
Posted at 9:29 PM, Mar 17, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-17 23:16:55-04

BALTIMORE — It's a holiday filled with green and four-leaf clovers, but you may be testing your luck if you plan to get behind the wheel after a few drinks.

The Maryland Department of Transportation is helping you get a ride home this weekend with a rideshare credit.

RELATED: Governors Highway Safety Association teams up with Lyft for free holiday rides

They're helping you plan ahead as Maryland State Police will be out in full force this weekend, and it's more than a pinch you'll get for one bad mistake of drinking and driving.

$15 may not get you all the way home from your location this weekend but it sure will help.

"I can see in front of me there are a lot of cars, a lot of things happening, a lot of people just casually crossing the street and I don't want to have to be meandering the streets figuring that out, so I’m going to have Lyft and someone else do that for me,” said Alanna Mullen, a Lyft user in Federal Hill.

Friday until 3 a.m. and starting Saturday from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., a code will be available for a $15 Lyft rideshare credit to those in Maryland thanks to the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

"I believe that for the most part it'll probably be better, we'll probably get more rides, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Lyft driver Kirk Clark.

Clark has been driving for Lyft for over four years. He says while these kind of promos give a boost to his income, he thinks the tips will stay about the same.

He said, “I think it helps to be a friendly driver, a good driver, somebody that people feel that they can count on."

"I think that's what really helps with the tips, not necessarily the fact that 'oh I don't have to pay for anything I’m going to give you extra for this,'” added Clark.

Some people say more advertising of the rideshare credit needs to be made as this is new news to them.

"We did just find out about this, it's not something that has been publicized on social media through any of the bars or anything like that,” said Lyft user Kelsey Zarlengi.

But they will be using the credit to get home after a few cold ones not only for their safety but also everyone else that will be out and about this weekend.

"First of all, drinking and driving is a very hazardous thing, it kills multiple people every year on our highways and responsibility, owning up if I’m going to drink I should not drive,” said Ryan Mooney who also uses Lyft.

During last year's St. Patrick’s holiday week, MDOT says there were 135 impaired driver related crashes and this is one easy step to avoid being one of those numbers.

Getting the credit is easy. Click hereto get the daily code, enter it into the Lyft app into the payment section and $15 will be in your account.

A new code will be posted Saturday at 4 in the afternoon. There is a limited of credits available each day so make sure to hop on the MDOT site around that time.