Dump The Pump Day - WRTA?

[northside lurker]

If the riders paid the TRUE COST of riding the bus they may see that the savings over driving is not as great as what they claim.

And, if drivers paid the TRUE COST of driving, more of them might switch to mass-transit.

And since most families still need autos because a bus cannot provide for all of your transportation needs, the expense of owning, insuring and licensing a car cannot be used in the price comparison.

Sounds like a good reason for improved mass-transit options.

I would be interested in seeing the ridership figures for the day after the free ride day.  I'll bet they are back down to pre-free ride numbers.

I'd like to see the ridership numbers over the next couple months.  I'll bet that ridership numbers increase because of this event.

[Rick Rowlands]

If the riders paid the TRUE COST of riding the bus they may see that the savings over driving is not as great as what they claim.  And since most families still need autos because a bus cannot provide for all of your transportation needs, the expense of owning, insuring and licensing a car cannot be used in the price comparison.

I would be interested in seeing the ridership figures for the day after the free ride day.  I'll bet they are back down to pre-free ride numbers.

[irishbobcat]

In Mitzi Archibald's perfect world, public buses would run 24 hours a day and riders would pack them the way they did Thursday.



"There was more riders today than there was any other time," said Miss Archibald, 52, of Scranton, who is disabled and rides County of Lackawanna Transit System buses regularly from her Scranton home to downtown for medical treatment. "I depend on those buses. All the bus drivers are my No. 1 friends."



In larger-than-normal numbers, local residents rode free on buses owned by COLTS and the Luzerne County Transportation Authority as both agencies joined in the fifth annual National Dump the Pump Day. The project, started by the American Public Transit Association, is meant to encourage people to try riding transit the way many millions did before widespread motor vehicle ownership undermined public transportation in many cities.



More than 120 mass transit and other agencies nationwide participated, offering free rides and prizes to riders, association spokeswoman Lesa Rair said. In Cleveland, one company bought blocks of bus tickets for its employees, with half the revenues targeted to help victims of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.



COLTS spokeswoman Gretchen Wintermantel and LCTA Executive Director Stanley Strelish said their agencies had not compiled complete ridership figures by late Thursday. But Mr. Strelish estimated ridership was up about 10 percent. COLTS riders and drivers reported many more filled seats.



"Everybody's riding because it's free today. I like free," said Danny Cushing, 35, of Taylor, who rides buses from home to his job at Cinram Manufacturing in Olyphant and thinks Dump the Pump Day is a good idea. "I think people should start ditching their cars and take the bus more. ... There's too much pollution from these cars. And then with the gas prices nowadays, it's crazy."



Mr. Cushing said he owned his last car five years ago. "It keeps money in my pocket," he said.



Transit officials dream of the day more people think as Mr. Cushing does. They argue mass transit riders spend $300 a year in commuting costs.



COLTS charges $1.25 a trip; LCTA charges $1.50.



"You can't turn the key in your car for $1.25. Gas is almost $3 a gallon," said COLTS driver Alethea Cieciorka, 42, of Dunmore, who reported a busy morning.



In what sounded like a nostalgic moment for two riders, Ms. Cieciorka said two of her passengers were grandparents who took three grandchildren for pizza.



"They were riding the bus ... taking them for pizza because they (the grandchildren) had never been on the bus before," she said.



Shawn Terry, 39, of Olyphant, a Salvation Army truck driver, catches the bus to work in Scranton daily.



"Economically right now, I can't afford a car. And it's a lot cheaper to catch the bus," he said. "Some people might just ride it (today) just because it's free and notice it's a smooth ride and start to ride it more often."



Transit agency officials are hoping exactly that.



Ms. Wintermantel said COLTS had a daily ridership bump of a couple of hundred people last year, though that eventually faded. Over time, COLTS, which saw sharp increases in ridership when gas prices skyrocketed in 2008, is hoping the promotion gains riders, she said.



She estimated the promotion cost COLTS $2,900 in farebox revenues, a figure that includes monthly passes. COLTS also spent $5,000 to advertise the promotion on three local television stations, she said.



Retiree Bob Laird, 62, of North Scranton, who rides downtown to "hang around," said the cost to COLTS is not worth it because taxpayers pick up the tab.



"It's not free; somebody has to pay," Mr. Laird said.

[irishbobcat]

American Public Transportation Association 
On June 17, people across the country will "Dump the Pump" and ride public transportation on the 5th annual National Dump the Pump Day. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which is partnering with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club this year, the National Dump the Pump Day is a public awareness day that highlights the benefits of public transportation, two of which are saving money and promoting energy independence. 

Over 120 RTA's across the country participated......why not our own WRTA?

[jay]

Thursday, June 17 was Dump The Pump Day.  National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation (instead of driving) and save money.   

I don't recall hearing any information about the WRTA's participation in this event.