» Dump the Pump

June 17 began as a windy, rainy morning in St. Louis for National Dump the Pump Day, and the weather only got worse as the morning commute continued. But for some people, it was just another adventure in dumping the pump in St. Louis.

Anthony Michael Philip on his morning commute to work.

Four years ago, Anthony Michael Philip’s car met its demise in a “random act of vandalism.”  He decided not to replace it and instead to get around through transit and biking.  ”I’ve always loved bicycling. It’s been part of my whole life.  But I live downtown and work in south St. Louis City.  [After his car died] I woke up and thought, ‘What am I gonna do?’ So, I hopped on my bike and rode to work and haven’t gotten a car since.”  I asked him how he finds getting around in St. Louis without a car and he replied, “Piece of cake. Between public transit and my bike, I can get everywhere I want to go.”

When I asked him if he had any advice for people looking to give up one or more of their cars, he said, “Yeah, don’t wait for someone to blow up your car to do it.  There’s no better reason to do it than just because.  It’s good for you and its a great way to get rid of stress.  By the time I get home, I’m ready for my evening.”

Citizens for Modern Transit’s Tom Shrout joined us at Civic Center MetroLink Station and explained that his family went from a two-car family to a one-car family seven or eight years ago.  His favorite perk is using the money saved for other pursuits, especially travel. “With the money we save, we like to go to fun places like Paris, London, Madrid. Those were places we couldn’t go if we were spending money on an extra car.”

There are no shortages of these stories in St. Louis.  Sometimes I hear, “What? Carless in St. Louis?” But people are doing it in our region all of the time, by choice or necessity.  If you have embraced more walking, biking and taking transit in your life, tell your friends, family and coworkers about the benefits and realistic challenges.  When someone is thinking about trying something new, it helps to get encouragement from people who are already doing it.

North East Middle School cheerleaders cheer on transit riders for Dump the Pump Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated in National Dump the Pump Day, especially considering the blustery, rainy weather.  Metro employee Ambassadors were out on the MetroLink alignment and bus transfer centers greeting customers and handing out entry forms for our Dump the Pump giveaway.  You can still register until June 28 to win prizes and alternative transportation gear from Metro, Trailnet, Citizens for Modern Transit, and Great Rivers Greenway.

Have a fun weekend, St. Louis, and however you go, safe travels!

OK, it’s summer 2010.  Oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, and we still spend billions of dollars to feed our ever-increasing appetite for petroleum, all while pumping millions of pounds of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  Isn’t it about time we embraced some alternatives?  It’s time to get on a bike, a train, or a bus, St. Louis!

Courtney and Arch Observer's Jim Barnthouse with t-shirts and gear from Trailnet, Great Rivers Greenway, and Metro. Who needs cars with faces like these?

Thursday, June 17, is National Dump the Pump Day.  Sponsored by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), Dump the Pump Day is designed to focus on conserving fuel, reducing the environmental impact of everyday commuting, and reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by finding alternatives to the use of personal vehicles.

Walk. Bike. Take transit. It’s a great time to get out of your car and explore your neighborhood, try transit, or bike to work.  Did you know bike commuters lose an average of 12 lbs during their first year of bike commuting?  Or that public transit users walk an average extra 20 minutes a day over auto commuters?  All over the country, transit and bike commuting is increasing as people realize the benefits of staying away from traffic.

To encourage St. Louis area commuters to Dump the Pump, Metro, together with community partners Citizens for Modern Transit, Trailnet and Great Rivers Greenway have donated some awesome gear to encourage you to walk, bike, or take transit, including:

• Bike Helmets from Great Rivers Greenway
• Membership to Citizens for Modern Transit
• Metro 10-Ride ticket booklets
• Metro messenger bag
• Trailnet ride vouchers
• Forest Park Shuttle tickets

Trailnet & Great Rivers Greenway T-shirts and other promotional items

Entries will be accepted through Monday, June 28.  Prizes will be awarded July 6. Click here to register to win some of the awesome gear from local organizations promoting alternative transportation (as shown by myself and Arch Observer Jim Barnthouse).

I hear Jim Barnthouse is alternative energy.

People can also obtain entry forms for the Metro Dump the Pump prize giveaway at:
•    Metro Headquarters – 707 N. 1st Street, St. Louis
•    MetroRide Center – 7th & Washington, inside America’s Center, St. Louis
•    Great Rivers Greenway – 6174 A Delmar Blvd., St. Louis
•    Trailnet – 1533 Washington Avenue, St. Louis

Commuters choosing public transit on June 17 may also be greeted and thanked personally by members of Metro’s leadership team, employee volunteers, and even cheerleaders from North East Middle School in St. Louis.  Because you deserve some recognition and thanks for dumping the gas pump.

Need more reasons to convince people to give up some gas?  According to the APTA:

• Each year, the use of public transit in the U.S. saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline by eliminating the need for 900,000 automobile fill-ups each day.
• Commuters who switch to public transit can reduce the carbon emissions of their personal vehicles by 20 pounds a day, or 4,800 pounds a year.
• In addition to helping save the environment, families that use public transit and live with one car can save an average of $9,000 a year.
• For every $1 invested in public transportation infrastructure, $4 is generated in economic returns to communities.

June 17: National Dump the Pump Day.  Step away from the car, and spend the day being the alternative.

Portland Transport blogger Bob Richardson won the Dump the Pump video contest. Richardson put together three different video entries, and his “Romance” spot beat out all other comers. (My personal favorite was “Tea Party,” but I thought they were all great.) Check out the winning video:

(Click here if you can’t see the video player.)

You can also check out a video of Metro St. Louis riders telling our interns why they dumped the pump.

Congratulations to Bob Richardson & friends, and to the Portland Transport blog, for their creativity and the win! (and thanks to Hard Drive for the  info.)

APTA sent us a reminder about their online video contest. You can win a free year of public transportation in your area AND an iPod touch if your video is chosen as having the most  overall impact. Details on the contest can be found at APTA’s Public Transportation page.

Even better, the contest deadline has been extended to September 18, and the first 25 entries will get a free $25 Visa cash card, just for competing! Calling all students -  25 bucks can buy a lot of fun school supplies!

Wouldn’t it be exciting if someone in St. Louis won this award?