News

Metro Celebrates Dump the Pump Day

What:

Activities for the fifth annual National Dump the Pump Day by Metro and transit partners to include:
• Performances by cheerleaders from North East Middle School in St. Louis
• Metro senior leadership and employees greeting customers, thanking them for taking public transit and distributing Dump the Pump stickers, transit information and entry forms for special giveaway
• Tom Shrout, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), and representatives from other Metro community partners including Trailnet and Great Rivers Greenway
• Customer entries for special prize packages

When:

6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Thursday, June 17, National Dump the Pump Day
(Metro spokesperson will be available starting at 6 a.m.)

Where:

Events described above at Civic Center MetroLink Station and MetroBus Transfer Center, 14th Street at Spruce Street, St. Louis.

Representatives of Metro and partner groups also will be greeting customers and distributing materials during the morning rush hour at:
• Fairview Heights MetroLink Station
• Shrewsbury Lansdowne I-44 MetroLink Station
• Brentwood I-64 MetroLink Station
• Central West End MetroLink Station & MetroBus Transfer Center
• North Hanley MetroLink Station
• Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station

Significance:

Metro will join with other transit agencies nationwide to encourage the public to take public transit, ride a bike, walk or find other alternative means of transportation while parking their fossil-fuel burning vehicles for the day. Sponsored by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), National Dump the Pump Day is designed to focus on conserving fuel, reducing the environmental impact of everyday commuting, and reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by finding alternatives to the use of personal vehicles.

With the economy still in the grip of the recession and the massive oil leak continuing in the Gulf of Mexico, Dump the Pump Day presents a great opportunity for commuters to try transit and see how this environmentally friendly alternative can be an economical and convenient transportation option.

To encourage St. Louis area commuters to Dump the Pump, Metro, CMT, Trailnet and Great Rivers Greenway are offering chances to win great prizes including:
• Bicycle helmets
• Metro 10-Ride ticket booklets
• Forest Park Shuttle tickets
• T-shirts and other promotional items

Entries will be accepted through Monday, June 28. Prizes will be awarded July 6.

Locations to obtain entry forms for Dump the Pump prizes are:
• Metro’s website – www.metrostlouis.org
• Metro Headquarters – 707 N. 1st Street, St. Louis
• MetroRide Center – 7th & Washington, inside America’s Center, St. Louis
• Great Rivers Greenway – 6174 A Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis
• Trailnet – 1533 Washington Avenue, St. Louis

“We hope people who observe Dump the Pump Day by using Metro Transit will see how convenient and affordable it is and decide to choose us on a regular basis,” Metro’s President and CEO Bob Baer said. “Dump the Pump Day is the perfect opportunity to find out how beneficial transit can be to take to work, to a Cardinals game, to Fair St. Louis, or to many other events and destinations.”

Baer also noted that statistics compiled by APTA make a strong case for using transit. According to APTA:
• Each year, the use of public transit in the U.S. saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline by eliminating the need for 900,000 automobile fill-ups each day.
• Commuters who switch to public transit can reduce the carbon emissions of their personal vehicles by 20 pounds a day or 4,800 pounds a year.
• In addition to helping save the environment, families that use public transit and live with one car can save an average of $9,000 a year.
• For every $1 invested in public transportation infrastructure, $4 is generated in economic returns to communities.