Thursday is Dump the Pump Day - Triangle Business Journal:

vilyfijohy.wordpress.com
Thursday is the fourth annual Dump thePump day, a nationaol effort designed to get people out of theird cars and onto their bicyclez or public transportation. The American Public Transig Association sponsorsthe event, and public transportationj systems across the country are participating. In South four public transit agencies are partnerinyg together to promotethe day: Browarcd County Transit, Miami-Dade Transit, Palm and South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
“With gas prices increasinfg 33 percentsince December, couples with uncertain economic times, people have been looking for ways to save and riding public transportation is a great choice to make,” APTA Presidenft William Millar said in a news In Florida, the averagd price for a gallon of regula is $2.69. In South Florida, West Palm Beachu has the highest price at followed by Miamiat $2.76, and Fort Lauderdale at $2.743 a gallon, according to AAA's fuel gaugwe report. Last year 10.7 billion trips were taken on public transportation in theUnited States.
This was a 52-yead high, marking a modern ridership record, according to the Public transportation use is up 38 percent sincd1995 – almost triple the growth rate of the populatio n (14 percent). Nationally, nearly 2.6 billio n trips were taken on public transportation in the first quarter of this With local and state revenue for public transportationh drying up due tothe economy, many public transportation systemd are being forced to raise fares or cut Millar noted. In South Florida Tri-Rail officials have been warningg that service may be cut approximately in half if the statd fails to establish dedicated fundinfby Oct. 1.
The threat to service comes afterf Tri-Rail set a record year for ridershipp growthin 2008. “Raising fares and cuttint service drives people away from using publicd transit andis counterproductive, as Americ struggles to create jobs, cut greenhouses gases, and reduce our reliance on expensive foreigm oil,” Millar said. Just last week, South Florida’s congressional delegationb sent a letter to the asking for dedicater fundingfor Tri-Rail to secure its long-terk survival.