MTS Users Ride for Free on November 8

SAN DIEGO – On Thursday, November 8, 2007, Washington Mutual will pick up all bus and trolley fares for San Diego Metropolitan Transportation System (MTS) commuters.  Free rides – courtesy of WaMu – begin at 4 a.m. and continue until the last Trolley is out of service at midnight on November 8, 2007.  An estimated 250,000 people ride MTS buses and trolleys every weekday.

One of the nation’s leading banks for consumers and small businesses, WaMu was recently named “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Retail Banking in the West/Pacific Region” by J.D. Powers and Associates.  The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System buyout is part of WaMu’s broader “Thank you, California!” campaign currently underway statewide.  WaMu operates more than 70 retail bank stores in the San Diego area.

“Our customers across California helped make our J.D. Powers and Associates acknowledgment possible,” said George Kaye, Senior Vice President and Division Executive, Southern California, for WaMu.  “We wanted to find a meaningful way to say ‘thank you!’ – and today here in San Diego, to the tens of thousands of people who use the San Diego MTS, that means the ride’s on WaMu.”

According to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), approximately 250,000 passengers get on board MTS Bus and Trolley routes every weekday.  Information on the free rides will be posted at all 53 Trolley Stations and aboard all 797 buses and 134 trolleys.

“Free Ride day is an innovative way for WaMu to thank its customers in San Diego, and it’s a first-of-a-kind event for MTS,” said Paul Jablonski, chief executive officer of MTS.  “It’s great that WaMu recognizes the vital role public transportation plays in the San Diego community and that it has chosen MTS trolleys and buses as the vehicle to carry its message to our region.”

In addition to the San Diego MTS buyout, on November 8 in the greater Los Angeles area, WaMu will also pick up fares for an estimated 10,000 Glendale Beeline passengers, as well as the approximately 15,000 bus riders who travel Long Beach Transit’s Routes 91 and 172, which interline with Routes 92, 93, 94 and 173.

About WaMu

Washington Mutual, Inc. (NYSE: WM), through its subsidiaries, is one of the nation’s leading consumer and small business banks.  At September 30, 2007, WaMu and its subsidiaries had assets of $330.11 billion. The company has a history dating back to 1889 and its subsidiary banks currently operate nearly 2,700 consumer and small business banking stores throughout the nation.  WaMu’s press releases are available at http://newsroom.wamu.com

About San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 93 bus routes and 53 miles of light rail (SDTI) over three lines, covering a 3,240 square-mile service area and serving 3 million people in San Diego County.

• MTS set a ridership record in FY ’07 with 83,841,861 riders.

• According to the American Public Transit Association (APTA), the average commuter saves more than $6,000 a year by taking public transportation with added benefits for the environment.  According to APTA, transit riders save 1.4 billion gallons of gas and eliminate more than 13.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

To plan a trip visit the online trip planner or dial 5-1-1 for transit information.