June 17, 2009 - Baltimore, MD

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is encouraging people to participate in the Fourth Annual National Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 18th¬, sponsored by the American Public Transit Association. Dump the Pump Day is a day meant to motivate people to leave their cars at home and ride public transportation in an effort to save money, protect the environment, reduce dependence on foreign oil and improve the overall quality of life.

“If you have been thinking about changing the way you commute to work every day by trying transit, Thursday is the day to give it a try,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “In the past year as gas prices have fluctuated, transit ridership has increased five percent as more and more people have discovered that it is a cost effective way to get around and an excellent alternative to driving. On Thursday, leave the driving to us and take transit.”

Individuals can achieve an average annual savings of over $8,000 by taking public transportation instead of driving and by living with one less car. And for every $1 invested in public transportation infrastructure, $6 is generated in economic returns to communities. Public transportation saves 900,000 automobile fill-ups each day – 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline per year. And switching to public transportation can reduce individual carbon emissions by 20 pounds per day or 4,800 pounds per year.