Rides on all Metro buses throughout Madison will be free Saturday, after MillerCoors gave the city $10,000 to operate the buses at no cost.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, riders will be able use the bus service for no cost until the end of the service day.
The free bus service coincides with University of Wisconsin’s Homecoming celebrations, providing visitors with another form of transportation around the city, Metro spokesperson Mick Rusch said.
Freeze the Keys has provided free Metro bus service in Madison on New Year’s Eve for more than 20 years, Rusch said.
In addition to the New Year’s Eve service, free buses have run as part of the program for events like the Taste of Madison, he said.
This year, MillerCoors chose to run the service during Homecoming weekend instead of during Freakfest.
“It all depends on what they [MillerCoors] want. They picked the date,” Rusch said.
According to the Metro website, buses will still run Nov. 1 during Freakfest, but they will use a detour running along the south side of the isthmus.
Riders will be able to plan their routes and find bus times using Google Maps or several mobile applications, including the Mobile UW app for iOS and Android devices.
Metro staff will also be available by phone until 8 p.m. Saturday to help riders plan their commutes, Rusch said.
