On Thursday, the American Public Transportation Association and many local public transportation systems across the country celebrated the 6th Annual Dump the Pump Day.
According to APTA, Dump the Pump Day was created in order to encourage people to ride public transportation instead of driving themselves and save money.
The City of Tempe was one of the cities that participated in Dump the Pump Day, and got the word out to residents to opt for public transit through its website and social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook.
With gas prices on the rise, Dump the Pump Day is an example to commuters of a way to save money by traveling through public transit.
Arizona’s gas prices hit their peak in July 2008 at over $4 a gallon. Gas prices in the Phoenix area have been falling in the past month, from an average of $3.70 a gallon to an average of $3.50 a gallon.
Entrepreneurship senior Cameron Dunlap said he remembered when gas was only $2.80 a gallon.
“You need gas, so you can’t worry about it too much,” he said. “You’ve just got to close your eyes when the money reader goes up past $50.”
Communications and sociology senior Madison Snowden said that she hasn’t been completely aware of gas prices because she normally uses public transit or her bike to get around.
She said she takes the metro light rail system and that her friends regularly take the Orbit buses around the Tempe campus.
“I use my bike a ton, and if I do have to drive to campus I park far away,” she said.
Dunlap said he takes public transit to his internship and on errands.
“I used to ride the Orbit all the time,” he said. “I use the light rail to get to Downtown Phoenix too about three or four times a week.”
The American Public Transit Association has represented the transit industry in 1882 and works to make sure that public transit is available across the country.
According to the APTA’s latest transit savings report, a two-person household that downsizes to one care can save, on average, more than 10,000 dollars a year.
Dunlap said he tries to save his fuel costs by trying not to fill up his car more than once every two weeks.
“I do budget,” he said. “It gets hard, but I do ride the Orbit more.”
Snowden said she fills up her car maybe once a week.
“I know gas prices have been relatively high, but there are ways to get around it,” she said.
Reach the reporter at katheirne.torres@asu.edu
