June 30, 2015
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APTA Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Dump the Pump

BY SARAH DICKENS
APTA Intern

It was a day of conservation on June 18, “Dump the Pump Day,” when public transportation systems and other groups across the U.S. promoted using transit instead of driving cars.

APTA reported that a record number of organizations participated in the event—176 public transit agencies and 46 other groups.

“Anytime we can have an oppor­tunity to get the word out to encourage people to take public transit, I am a huge supporter of anyone that wants that,” said Shirley Harris, president of the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) Board of Directors in San Carlos, CA. “That’s what Dump the Pump is all about.”

SamTrans held several activities that day, hosting a photo booth and a social media promotion through Twitter. Users of the #dumpthepump hashtag were eligible to win a branded messenger bag.

“Customers who tweeted the ­photos using the photo booth got to put their names in a raffle and that gave them the chance to win the messenger bag,” Harris said.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) held its third annual scavenger hunt for Dump the Pump Day, with 39 four-to-six-person teams.

“[The scavenger hunt] gives them the opportunity to explore their city with MARTA,” said Director of Marketing Jennifer Jinadu. “We kept most of [the hunt] the same. We used modifications from the participants for feedback on the scavenger hunt in order to keep them engaged.”

Another creative idea, from the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA), was a “breakup” with gasoline through text messages along with free rides on the transit system.

“We focused on kind of a fun way to get the information out there,” said Nathan Owens, GDRTA ridership developer and marketing analyst. “We were hoping that the [free rides] would encourage people to ride transit. There is never an easier way to try transit than when it’s free.”

Jinadu is proud of the successful results that Dump the Pump Day produced in Atlanta. “It’s a lot of logistical work on the back end,” she said. “Just getting feedback from the teams and them exploring the city and MARTA having a key part in that makes all the effort worthwhile.”

Learn more about Dump the Pump Day at www.apta.com.

 

 

 

 The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority encouraged riders to "break up with driving" with a text.

 IndyGo launched a month-long campaign of events and prizes, including winning free rides for a year and bikeshare  memberships.

 SamTrans offered riders a chance to put themselves in the bus operator's seat in a special photo booth.

 
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