FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2009

Ride Free and Ride Green!

Save the Earth! Ride free on Earth Day April 22

METRO Transit is offering free rides on all routes, on Wednesday, April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and kick off the City of Oklahoma City’s weeklong Greening OKC (greeningokc.com) events.

Any time on Earth Day, on any route in the Greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area, bus rides are free for everyone. There is no need to worry about transferring from OU’s CART or Edmond’s “Eddy” Trolley system, those agencies have partnered with METRO Transit by also offering free rides.

According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), public transit is consistently the top way to go green – for every mile traveled on public transit, riders will produce 95 percent less carbon monoxide than driving.

METRO Transit, the Central Oklahoma Regional Public Transportation system, can play a vital role in helping the Greater Oklahoma City area become a healthier community. Providing significant environmental benefits – by reducing smog-producing pollutants and greenhouse gases – public transportation is helping to meet regional air quality standards. Public transportation fosters a more active lifestyle, encouraging more people to walk, bike and jog to transit stops.

"A commitment to ride the bus just one day a week would make a dramatic and noticeable difference in our community’s environment," said Michael Scroggins, Public Information Manager for METRO Transit.

Scroggins says for those who have never ridden a Metro bus, or ride infrequently, this is a chance to explore the bus system at their own pace, and experience a healthy alternative to driving alone. METRO makes it easy for people to take their first step toward trying its many services. A great way to get started is to visit METRO Transit online at gometro.org and view the new “How To Ride” video.

Here are some tips on making the most of the free ride day on Wednesday:

• Call one of METRO Transit’s Information Specialists at (405) 235-RIDE (7433) for personal assistance. Help is available weekdays from 7 am – 5 pm.
• If there are no routes that service your neighborhood, consider making a short drive to one of the many park-and-ride lots around the city. Park-and-ride information can be found on gometro.org.

“Earth Day is a day to focus on how we can individually and collectively make a difference,” concluded Scroggins. “By using public transportation on a regular basis, we can make every day an Earth Day.”

To learn more about METRO Transit, visit gometro.org or to learn more about the City of Oklahoma City’s fun, family-friendly Earth Day events visit, greeningokc.com.

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