Metro and Uber offering free polling place rides

METRO riders wait for their bus at the Texas Medical Center Transit Center on Aug. 17. METRO riders wait for their bus at the Texas Medical Center Transit Center on Aug. 17. Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 72 Caption Close Metro and Uber offering free polling place rides 1 / 72 Back to Gallery

Getting to Houston area polling places does not have to cost a thing.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority and Uber are offering free rides to vote, with some stipulations. On Metro, showing a valid voter registration card gets you a free ride on local buses and trains. The free ride does not apply to park and ride routes.

Uber meanwhile is offering free rides to new users of the app-based ride hailing system, up to $15.

Traveling to polling places might be free, but once there voters, in the Houston area will have a chance to spend a lot of taxpayer money on transportation. The ballot includes a statewide proposal to shift sales tax revenues to highway projects, as well as road bonds on the ballot in Harris County and Montgomery County.