Two of Wisconsin's most recognizable brands are teaming up to prevent drunk driving and help keep fans safe during the football season. Miller Lite and the Green Bay Packers have joined with Green Bay Metro and Triangle Distributing to provide free public transit service to and from Lambeau Field on all home game days.
"Miller Lite and the Green Bay Packers have a long partnership here in Wisconsin, and we're excited to bring the Miller Lite Free Rides program to Green Bay, and partner with METRO and the Packers on and off the field," said Diane Wagner, MillerCoors alcohol responsibility manager. "We believe that with great beer comes great responsibility, and we want Packer fans to plan ahead for a safe ride home by riding the bus on us."
Green Bay METRO's free transit bus service is offered on four routes to provide public transportation to and from home games throughout the season. These routes, dubbed the Lambeau Leap, QB Sneak, Cheesehead and Quick Slant, will run for five hours prior to kick off and three hours after the end of the game on home game days. Packer game day routes run from local hotspots like Oneida Casino, Bay Park Square Mall and hotels along the way to Lambeau Field.
The free public transit service launched simultaneously with the kickoff of the Packers 2011 season on Sept. 8, and experience higher than normal ridership. The success of the Free Rides program in other parts of the state prompted Miller Lite to step in as a sponsor for the remainder of the Green Bay Packers home games. This program is designed to benefit everyone; it's safe, easy, and encourages fans to use alternative transportation and never drive drunk.
Tom Wittig, Green Bay METRO's transit director states, "The partnerships with Miller Lite and the Green Bay Packers are ingredients for great success in providing public transportation on Packers home games. We are excited about this partnership. The rides are free, efficient and convenient, but most of all, fans can enjoy a Packers victory and get home safely."
Miller Lite Free Rides provides free public transportation on St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Eve in several Wisconsin cities. Since the program's inception in Milwaukee 24 years ago, it has been expanded to include Madison; Waukesha; Chicago; Baltimore; Minneapolis; Nashville; and Valparaiso, Ind., on key holidays and during local events. The program has gained the involvement and support of law enforcement, public safety agencies, and other community and government organizations and has proven popular in the communities it serves; to date, it has provided more than 2.7 million free rides.
For route and schedule information, call 1-800-FREE-RIDES, visit MillerLiteFreeRides.com or www.greenbaymetro.org, or text PACKERS to 90464.
