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Ways to avoid surge pricing if you're taking Uber, Lyft on New Year's Eve

Getting home safe on New Year's Eve
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Getting a safe ride home for New Year's Eve can cost you extra, especially if you are using a ride sharing company like Uber or Lyft to get to your destination.

Surge pricing, or Heat Mapsfor Lyft, have increased fares in certain high demand areas, during specific times of day.

For New Year's the highest demand is predicted to be from midnight until 3 a.m.

Ways to get around the higher prices, are to walk a few blocks away to get out of the hot zone, wait until the price goes down, or find another way to get home (taxi, bus or light rail).

"Since there's been Uber, we don't take cabs anymore," Baltimore resident Daniel Crowley said.

Locals call the ride sharing apps more convenient, "a lot of times we're at friends' houses , or a place that's not a main drag so cabs aren't really easily accessible," Crowley said.

"The Charm City Circulator, I've thought about that, but I don't quite know when it comes, or where it comes, or there's several different lines, and for a taxi, I don't often know where they are," visitor Rob Burks said.

The Circulator runs until midnight on New Year's Eve, the Light Rail and Metro will operate for an hour after the fire works show at the Inner Harbor.

"You know it's something that you always don't want to pay the extra, but if they're taking you home, and it's a really busy night for all of them, I totally didn't mind it," Marylander Emilie Carter said.

While it frustrates some more than others, everyone ABC2 spoke with agreed it's much safer to get a safe ride home than risk a DUI.

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