LAFAYETTE, Ind. — All rides on CityBus will be free all day on all routes on Thursday, June 18, as residents are encouraged to “Dump the Pump” and use public transportation instead, Marty Sennett, CityBus general manager, announced at a new conference at CityBus.
Children from McAllister Center’s Summer Day Camp rode to the press conference on a hybrid CityBus. They carried signs reading 'Save Money' and 'Live Better' and shouted 'Dump the Pump' as they tossed miniature gas pumps into a recycling bin.
Greater Lafayette residents who regularly ride CityBus can save on transportation costs, ease traffic congestion and contribute to the community’s air quality, Sennett and other speakers said. Their messages were reinforced by children from McAllister Center’s Summer Day Camp, who rode in on a hybrid CityBus for the news conference. They carried signs reading “Save Money” and “Live Better” and shouted “Dump the Pump” as they tossed miniature gas pumps into a recycling bin.
“Dump the Pump is an opportunity for our community to experience how riding CityBus helps people save money and live better,” Sennett said. “The average annual cost in the U.S. to own and operate a car is $8,600. During challenging economic times like these, a two-car family can save $8,600 a year by becoming a one-car family and using CityBus for daily trips to and from work. And as we’ve seen, gas prices can go wildly high, making it imperative to consider permanent, less expensive, and environmentally wise ways to commute.”
West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis said, “This is a great time to consider the ways that CityBus helps people not only to save money, but to live better—by easing parking and traffic congestion. Last year, there were 5 million rides on CityBus. Imagine what the traffic and congestion would be like if those rides were taken in cars instead.”
Lafayette City Councilman Rick Cornstuble agreed. “Here’s one more, he said: CityBus riders also help keep our air clean by saving 4,800 pounds of carbon emissions per person each year. Better air quality is essential to better quality of life.” He also heralded CityBus for its vital function in ensuring that students, youth, elderly, low-income, and residents with disabilities have access to jobs, education and healthcare.
Dump the Pump is a nationwide campaign coordinated by the American Public Transportation Association. Many cities across the U.S. are participating this year.
CityBus route information is available at www.gocitybus.com or 765-742-RIDE.
