Study shows San Diegans can save more than $1,000 per month riding transit
San Diego - The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) are asking San Diegans to participate in Dump the Pump Day this Thursday, June 18 by ditching their cars and riding public transit. With gas prices still hovering near $4 per gallon, transit riders continue to see steady savings while those who drive see their commuting costs go up.
MTS and NCTD will be thanking riders for dumping the pump on Thursday from 6:30-11:30 a.m. at the Escondido Transit Center and the Old Town Transit Center. Four lucky people (two at each location) will win a pair of tickets to see the San Diego Padres play the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, June 28. Additionally, riders who load a pass on a Compass Card at any of the 54 retail locations by Thursday will get a complimentary re-useable grocery bag while supplies last. For a complete list of retail locations visit ww.sdmts.com/marketing/CompassCardLocations.asp.
“By participating in Dump the Pump Day, we hope people who don’t regularly use MTS and NCTD services will decide to give us a try instead of driving their car,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. “By taking public transit, residents save wear-and-tear on their vehicles, minimize their carbon footprint on the environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.”
Mark Packard, NCTD’s Board Chair added, “When you take the train, trolley or bus, you not only save money, but you gain back the time you spend commuting as you can study, read, listen to music or answer email. Try taking public transit; you’ll see why so many San Diegans are loyal riders.”
According to the June Transit Savings Report from the American Public Transportation Association, San Diegans who ride transit save an average of $12,380 each year. The savings are based on the cost of owning and driving a vehicle, and the cost of monthly parking. To calculate your individual savings, with or without car ownership, go to PublicTransportation.org.
Nationally, Americans took 10.8 billion trips on public transportation in 2014 – the most in 58 years. Public transportation use also saved 37 million metric tons of would-be carbon emissions and reduced American use of foreign oil by 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline. San Diegans are being asked to do their part by taking public transportation on Thursday, June 18.
About the Metropolitan Transit System
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services. MTS is expecting to set a new record this year with more than 97 million riders . For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
About the North County Transit District
The North County Transit District is a public transportation agency providing 12 million passenger trips annually throughout North San Diego County and into downtown San Diego. NCTD's system includes BREEZE buses (with FLEX service), COASTER commuter trains, SPRINTER light rail trains, and LIFT paratransit service. NCTD's mission is to deliver safe, convenient, reliable and user-friendly public transportation services.
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