STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the second consecutive year, borough officials and a local nonprofit have teamed up with Uber to provide free rides on Thanksgiving Eve in an effort to reduce the possibility of drunken driving.

“SI Safe Ride,” spearheaded by Borough President James Oddo, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, Uber and the New York chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), provided 3,000 borough passengers with free rides in its first year.

The night is one of the “busiest drinking nights of the year,” sometimes referred to as “blackout Wednesday,” according to a press release from Oddo’s office.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!



This Thanksgiving Eve we’re once again bringing Staten Islanders 2 FREE @Uber rides up to $15 each to and from your destination. Be safe, leave the car at home and RT to help us spread the word! Thanks to @HeyNowJO @MADDOnline for helping make it happen! pic.twitter.com/dArxUfHz2o — Michael E. McMahon (@StatenIslandDA) November 8, 2018

The promotion will be available to riders from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, to 5 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 22.

By using the initiative-specific code “SAFERIDESI18,” Staten Islanders can get two free Uber rides -- up to $15 in value in each direction. If a ride exceeds that amount, the passenger is responsible for paying the difference.

All rides must start and end on Staten Island.

“After our successes with this program throughout the past year, I’m pleased to be able to continue this initiative,” said Oddo in a prepared statement.

In 2003, Oddo and McMahon sponsored a similar initiative while they were members of the City Council. That program, “Operation Arrive Alive,” relied on bartenders calling a cab for patrons who requested one.