By Lindsay Peyton

The sponsors of a pop-up concert held at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 28 in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Park may have come a bit as a surprise for the crowd gathered to hear the sounds of local band Hey Marseilles.

Before the musical group started crooning its folk-rock tunes, representatives from the City of Seattle’s Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Uber came on stage to deliver a message.

The two organizations teamed up as concert co-hosts to spread the word about a special offer that could prevent accidents and possibly save lives.

Tracey Breeden national safety spokeswoman for Uber, explained that the company is providing a $10 discount on uberPOOL trips on New Year’s Eve.

Users can redeem the discount by entering the promo code “SAFESTART2017” in the Uber app. The deal will apply to any rides between 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 and 5 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1.

“We can be your designated driver this New Year’s Eve,” Breeden said. “Not getting behind the wheel saves lives.”

She explained that the ride-sharing company has partnered with cities across the country, working alongside law enforcement agencies and groups like “Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD),” to encourage New Year’s Eve revelers to consider safer alternatives than driving after partying.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the deadliest holidays for drunk driving fatalities,” Breeden said. “And drunk driving is 100 percent preventable. Uber offers the community a safe alternative.”

Jim Curtin, traffic safety coordinator for SDOT and a West Seattle resident, explained that preventing alcohol-impaired driving on New Year’s Eve is part of a larger project -- Seattle’s Vision Zero plan.

The mission is to end all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.

“It seems like a lofty goal, but we can do it,” Curtin said. “People have a plethora of transportation options, so there’s not excuse to get behind the wheel.”

He hoped that the concert would spark some pre-party coordination.

“We’re out here a couple days early, because we want people to plan ahead,” he said. “Start thinking about a designated driver. Remember there are different ways to get home.”

Capt. Chris Fowler with the Seattle Police Department said officers will enhance their DUI patrols throughout the weekend.

“This is a very serious issue,” he said. “We don’t want our friends and families to be a victim of traffic fatalities. We want to encourage people to take advantage of this great opportunity Uber is offering.”
 
To learn more about the partnership and Vision Zero, visit www.seattle.gov/visionzero.