Hello, you beautiful drunk idiots!
Starting at 7 p.m. tonight, you can ride the bus for free until 4 a.m. You can also take the streetcar for free until 1 a.m. You'll still have to pay for the light rail, but tonight it will run all the way up until 2 a.m. The last train leaves Westlake for Angle Lake at 2 sharp, so keep that in mind if you're partying or working a party downtown.
According to a recent-ish analysis from the Seattle P.I., a DUI in this state can cost you anywhere between $6,500 and $10,000. That's a whole lot more money than free + maybe a parking ticket. And you don't run such a large risk of killing some hammered dingus stumbling across the road while staring at his phone because he's trying to remember the lyrics for a song he's going to sing at karaoke later! I know that, for some, taking public transit can sound semi-inconvenient in the sleepy-screaming throes of New Year's Eve, but really it's the only way to go.
Anyhow, thank you King County Metro and Sound Transit!