Residents may avoid the high price of gas and try public transit June 16 to 20
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is offering free one-day bus passes for use during Dump the Pump week, June 16 to 20, to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home and ride public transportation.
Passes are available today through June 20, on OCTA’s Web site by clicking here. They are also available June 13, in the Orange County Register, Excelsior, Nguoi Viet, Chinese Daily Newspaper and the Korean Daily and in the Orange County Register June 16. All passes are valid during the entire Dump the Pump week.
“With gas prices at record highs and climbing, commuters are looking for alternatives to solo driving,” said Chris Norby, chairman of OCTA. “Dump the Pump week encourages people to explore alternative modes of transportation and our free passes gives them an opportunity to hop on board the bus.”
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) sponsors the national Dump the Pump day that occurs nationwide on June 19. OCTA’s week-long promotion will include various events throughout the county thanking customers for their commitment to taking public transit. A special event is planned for June 19 at the Fullerton Transportation Center to thank current customers and welcome new riders.
Commuters can take the bus or Metrolink, participate in a vanpool or carpool or ride a bike in place of driving alone. Each year, public transportation in the United States saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline a year, which equates to almost 4 million gallons of gasoline per day.
Americans took 2.6 billion trips on public transportation during the first three months of 2008, a 3.3 percent increase from last year. Light rail had the highest percentage of increase in ridership, 10.3 percent overall.
Southern California residents also jumped on Metrolink trains. Metrolink ridership in Orange County is up 5 percent from last year. Express Bus route ridership has also increased by 18.6 percent from January to April.
