Take a Ride on Us returns for Memorial Day in Sandoval County

Sandoval County residents heading to cookouts, parties or outdoor gatherings can still get home without driving after drinking: the Memorial Day ride-share program offers up to $10 off two Uber trips, but only while 2,500 discounted rides last.

The annual Take a Ride on Us campaign returned Friday and runs through 2 a.m. Tuesday, May 26. Riders in Sandoval County, along with those in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties, can open the Uber app, go to vouchers, and enter the code NMMD26. The discount does not apply to Uber Eats orders or driver tips.

The program is first come, first served, which makes timing the key detail many people could miss. Once the 2,500 rides are gone, the code stops working, so anyone planning late-night Memorial Day travel has a limited window to use it.

Bernalillo County said the effort is a partnership with Cumulus Media Albuquerque, Sandoval County, Santa Fe County, Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, Sandia Resort & Casino and ENDWI. The county said the campaign has provided more than 83,000 safe rides across the Albuquerque metro area since it began in 2017.

That history matters in a holiday period known for heavier traffic and more impaired-driving risk. Memorial Day weekend often brings long drives, backyard gatherings and late departures from celebrations, and public safety officials have long treated it as one of the more dangerous stretches of early summer. A subsidized ride home is meant to reduce crashes, DWI arrests and the emergency response that can follow bad decisions on the road.

For Sandoval County communities such as Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Corrales and Placitas, the program gives residents a practical alternative at the exact moment they are most likely to need it. It also shows why local governments keep funding a regional program instead of leaving the problem to personal judgment alone: a small fare discount can keep one risky trip off the road.

The county said Bernalillo County, home to more than 676,000 residents, sees the campaign as a metro-wide public safety tool, not just a holiday perk. With the code valid only while supplies last, the message is simple enough for the weekend: if you need a ride, use it before the last discounted trip is gone.