Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — Some riders of Luzerne County Transportation Authority buses got a shock Thursday when they were told their rides were free for the day.
Sydney Lonsdale, 17, was one of those riders.
“I didn’t know it was Dump The Pump Day until they told me (my ride) was free,” she said as she waited for a bus back to Hanover Township.
The annual event was started by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in June 2006, when gas prices where $3 a gallon, as part of a national campaign to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use local transportation. The event emphasizes that public transportation is a travel option that also helps people save money.
For the 11th annual day, LCTA offered free rides all day.
“It is our hope that after riding the bus, they will see the benefits of this comfortable and affordable mode of transportation,” said Lorri Vandermark, LCTA’s marketing coordinator.
Other riders knew their fares were waived, and were using it to their advantage.
Anne Sadler and Vanessa Schwerdt came to the center via the Pittston route. Both ladies, who have ridden the bus before, were adding stops and new routes to their agenda because of the special day.
“We are using it extra,” Sadler confirmed.
“It’s a nice thing,” Schwerdt added before they boarded a bus headed for Miners Mills.
Vandermark said the day gives incentives to riders who want to be energy independent.
“Our participation in this National Dump the Pump Day is our way of giving back to the community,” Vandermark said.
Lonsdale compared Thursday to her Black Friday bus experience. Lonsdale noticed her routes were more passenger-heavy than normal, but noted “they’re (still) on time.”
Though the buses weren’t as full as she thought they would be, MacKenzie said she enjoys the added ridership on days because she gets to meet new people.
“It’s a day out,” MacKenzie noted.
Even though Thursday was a special day, Schwerdt thinks “a lot more people” should make use of the public transit in the area.
Vandermark said that aside from the free rides, the LCTA wants to educate the public on the benefits and energy savings of utilizing public transportation.
According to the APTA, a household spends 17.5 cents of every dollar on average for transportation. Over 90 percent of the cost goes to buying and maintaining a car.
A person saves a yearly average of $9,234 by switching from their daily drive to taking public transportation, according to the APTA’s March Transit Savings Report. Public transportation riders can save $769 per month on average.
The LCTA’s Thursday ridership numbers weren’t immediately available, Vandermark said.
