Are you or your friends planning to party on St. Patrick's Day? If so, you will want to keep this information handy to make sure everyone gets home safely.
“Celebrating safely is not a matter of luck,” said Amy Stracke, Managing Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy for AAA. “If you’re going to be out drinking or hosting a party with alcohol, please plan ahead so you and your loved ones get home safely.”
AAA strongly recommends you have a Designated Driver or arranging for another form of sober transportation.
DESIGNATED DRIVER
A designated driver is a person who abstains from alcohol on a social occasion (such as a St. Patrick's Day party) in order to drive his or her companions home safely as an alternative to driving under the influence.
TECO LINE STREETCAR
The TECO Line Streetcar System runs on rails that connects Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. The streetcar line operates until at least 10:00 p.m. More Info: www.tecolinestreetcar.org.
TAXI, CAB SERVICES
Taking a cab or taxi is also a good alternative to driving during any holiday. To find a car service near you, download a cab-finding app like Curb: www.gocurb.com.
Polk County:
Checker Cab Co., (863) 665-8151
Polk County Taxi, (863) 521-2924
Hillsborough County:
Yellow Cab, (813) 253-0121
Cab Plus, (813) 288-8888
United Taxi Car Service, (877) 288-2672
Pasco County:
Express Cab (727) 226-3822
Signature Car Service (727) 834-4444
Adventure Cab Express (727) 637-1069
Pinellas County:
United Taxi (727) 777-7777
Coral Cab (727) 215-0429
Downtown Yellow Taxi (727) 379-4440
Yellow Cab (727) 204-4212
DOWNTOWNER
The Downtowner offers complimentary ride service in downtown Tampa from the University of Tampa to the Channel District. Service is available Mondays to Fridays from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The free service is thanks to the Tampa Downtown Partnership. You can get a ride using the free Downtowner app: www.ridedowntowner.com/cities/tampa/
UBER, LYFT
Ride-sharing is a popular alternative to driving or taking a taxi on a holiday. When there is high demand, Uber uses surge pricing. Fares can increase significantly during the busiest time of the night.
Riders who use rival Lyft will also see a version of Uber's price surge, called "Prime Time."
Uber: www.uber.com
Lyft: www.lyft.com
TOW-TO-GO
AAA's free "Tow-to-go" service is active for St. Patrick's Day.
Whether you are a AAA member or not, you can call for a Tow to Go ride anytime Friday, March 17 through 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 19. AAA will safely get you and your vehicle home or somewhere safe within 10 miles.
Call 1-855-2-TOW-2-GO (855-286-9246)
Since it started in 1998, Tow to Go has safely removed 24,000 impaired drivers from the roads. The service is designed to be used as a last resort to keep drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.
