The City of Sheridan's Safe Rides Program began in July of 2012 and was initially called the "Tipsy Taxi." The name was changed to "Safe Rides" in April of 2017. The program provides taxi rides home for bar patrons who have had too much to drink. The main focus of the program is to get people
home safely and keep the citizens of Sheridan safe.
The City of Sheridan partnered with the Sheridan County Liquor Dealers Association, ASAP and Sheridan Taxi to gather funding and resources to get the program off the ground. When the program first began it initially provided around 100 rides a month. The program has expanded significantly and now provides around 400 rides a month at a cost of approximately $45,000 a year!
There are currently about 10 establishments that utilize the program on a regular basis. Any liquor establishment in the city can participate. WYO Rides has also joined Sheridan Taxi and has started providing the taxi rides.
In April of 2017, the liquor establishments started paying for 1/2 the cost of the ticket books. They pay $350 for a $500 ticket book that contains 50 tickets. This cost is passed on to the patrons utilizing the service. A $5 service charge can be taken by the bartender, with an additional $1 fee for each additional person going to the same location. The decision to collect the service charge is left up to the individual establishments.
The Safe Rides program runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Look for signage at local establishments or ask your bartender about the program.
Impaired driving continues to be a problem that plagues our society. It is a crime that can tragically impact any one of us.
If you would like to donate to the program, please contact Sarah Benevidez, at 307-672-5609. You can also mail your donation to the following address:
Sheridan Police Department
45 West 12th Street
Sheridan, WY 82801