National Dump the Pump Day – a day meant to encourage people to ride public transportation and save money –  is Thursday, June 15th.

Locally, all services offered by the Flint Hills aTa Bus will be FREE on Thursday, June 15th.

Anne Smith, Flint Hills aTa Bus Director said that utilizing public transportation is not only a way to be friendlier to the environment by having less vehicles on the roadway, it can also help you save money.

“[Public transportation] is more beneficial to people economically than to try to maintain a car, especially as people start to get older and they don’t need the car everyday like when they were younger, but they still need to get around,” said Smith. “There can be a real benefit to them to start using public transportation.”

Smith noted the environmental benefits to public transportation. “Fewer vehicles on the road means there’s a smaller carbon footprint to the community.”

According to the American Public Transportation Association, for every $1 invested in public transportation, there is $4 in economic returns.

“In Junction City we are able to track our demand response riders and 52 percent of them use the service to get to work; so if you can get to work, then you have a paycheck and you are buying goods and services in the community,” said Smith. “Often times transportation is a barrier to maintaining employment.”

In Geary County, the aTa Bus services have filled a very large need in the community. Smith said that the Dump the Pump Day is celebrated every Summer to “raise awareness about the economic and environmental benefit of utilizing public transportation.”

For more information call 537-6345 or visit flinthillsatabus.com.