Bloomington Transit will offer free rides on all fixed routes June 15 in honor of National Dump the Pump Day.
They will be joining other public transportation systems nationwide to participate in the 12th annual event, which is sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association.
The day encourages people to use public transportation instead of driving, to save money, support local transit systems and use less gas.
The event was first started in June 2006 when gas prices were about $3 per gallon.
According to the APTA’s Transit Savings Report, individuals in a two-person household can save an average of more than $9,700 annually by downsizing to one car.
Another goal is to support public transportation systems, which are cornerstones of local economies in urban, suburban and rural communities, according to a press release from Bloomington Transit.
Public transit in the United States is a $66 billion dollar industry and employs more than 400,000 people.
Every one dollar invested in public transportation generates about four dollars in economic returns, according to the APTA.
Since 1995, public transit ridership is up 34 percent, according to Bloomington Transit.
Bloomington visitors and residents can board any Bloomington Transit bus on any of their nine routes for free June 15. People can access route maps and schedules online at bloomingtontransit.com or by calling 336-RIDE.
Bloomington Transit will also be participating in Touch a Truck, which lets kids and residents get up close and personal with fire trucks, ambulances, buses, bucket trucks and more.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 at the Winslow Sports Complex Parking Lot. The event is geared toward kids ages 1-10 and costs $1 per person.
Alison Graham
