Trolley Offers Free Rides For Dump The Pump Day
Bay Town Trolley participates in 3rd Annual National Dump the Pump Day
June 16, 2008
Panama City, Fla. – In celebration of Dump the Pump Day, Bay Town Trolley is offering free rides to all passengers on June 19, 2008. This initiative, sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), is an effort to encourage people across the nation to cut down on their use of personal vehicles and increase their use of public transportation.
Bay Town Trolley representatives want to highlight the system as a sensible way to beating gas prices which seem to be skyrocketing at an inconsistent pace. Breaking the $4 mark in most places around town, especially on the beach, the lowest average price per gallon for gas in Bay County is $4.02 according to GasBuddy.com. Even though these prices seem extreme, they’re actually inline with the current state average of $4.01 per gallon, which jumped $.31 just in the past month; the national average is just 5 cents higher.
“With gas prices higher than ever and financial concerns affecting everyone, now is the time to save money and ride public transportation,” said APTA President William W. Millar. “The National Dump the Pump Day on June 19 is an opportunity for people across the country to make a difference in their wallet, as well as in the environment.”
According to a new study prepared by ICF International, public transportation reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually – equivalent to the electricity used by 4.9 million households. On average, households that use public transportation save over $1,399 each year.
In conjunction with Dump the Pump, Bay Town Trolley representatives will also celebrate rider appreciation on Thursday by passing out cold bottled water at trolley transfer points. With over 36,000 rides in May, Bay Town Trolley has reported 161,081 rides in the first five months of 2008. These numbers reflect a 6 percent increase in year-to-date ridership from 2007. This increase comes at a time when the system has extended service hours; in the first three months of the “Ride Late in ‘08” campaign nearly 6,000 rides were taken between 6 and 8 p.m. With all the environmental and economic factors arising, trolley representatives anticipate a steady increase in ridership throughout the summer.
“By participating in the National Dump the Pump Day we’re promoting all the benefits of public transportation,” said Beth Coulliette, Bay Town Trolley’s executive director. “We know that once we get people to try us out, they’re not going to want to continue feeding their gas tank.”
In the past Bay Town Trolley has experienced a significant increase in ridership from Dump the Pump. In 2007, the promotion yielded a 27 percent increase in riders from its daily averages; similar results are expected for this year.
For the past 12 years Bay Town Trolley has provided public transportation services to Bay County. The system operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. with the mission of moving riders of Bay County with clean, safe, efficient and dependable transportation while enhancing the quality of life and meeting the growing needs of the community. Visit BayTownTrolley.org for information on routes, fares, Ride On Commuter Services, the Pier Park Express and other news and updates.
