HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/04/1993, C-9 - FREE TRANSIT DAY MEETING DATE:
gl��� City Of San LUIS OBISPO May 4 1993
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT 1T°'"NUMBER
FROM: Michael McCluskey, Public,Work�slDirector+vl`�
PREPARED BY: Harry Watson, Transit Manager
SUBJECT: Free Transit Day
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
By motion, designate May 19, 1993, as "Free Transit Day" as a part of the City's contribution to and
recognition of the nationwide "Try Transit Week 93'"
DISCUSSION:
A number of transportation-related groups throughout the country have designated May 17-21, 1993, as
"Try Transit Week". The week is a promotion designed to generate awareness among major employers
and the general public regarding alternate modes of transportation.
According to figures from the California Department of Transportation, vehicle miles traveled has
increased five percent per year, which has led to a fifteen percent yearly increase in traffic congestion.
Traffic congestion has a direct correlation to degradation of air quality. -Therefore.the increased use of
mass transportation can improve air quality by reducing the number of automobiles on the road. The
purpose of holding a free transit day is to heighten awareness of the benefits of mass transportation and
to hopefully attract new riders to use the City's transit system in the future.
San Luis Obispo Transit intends to promote "Transit Wednesday" by distributing press releases, public
service announcements, and by incorporating it into a program of paid media advertising.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Because the City derives the majority of its revenues from monthly bus passes and contractual
arrangements, a free transit day is estimated to reduce anticipated revenues by approximately $200.
Attachments: draft press release
advertisement
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. Cl of S�l'1 IUIS 'OBISPO
955 Morro Street • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
May 10, 1993
CONTACT: . Harry Watson
805/781-7121
"TRY TRANSIT WEEK 93""
The San Luis Obispo City Transit (SLO TRANSIT) will be joining
hundreds of other public transit agencies across the country in
celebrating "Try Transit Week 9311, May 17-21.
Try Transit Week. is an annual observance that highlights transit's
ability to save energy, reduce air ,pollution and improve the
environment, improve transportation mobility for everyone, increase
productivity, and help boost. the economy.
"Public transit and ride sharing are the clean air alternatives -to
driving alone", said Mayor Peg Pinard. "Try Transit Week is an
ideal time for commuters in San Luis Obispo who do not currently
�. ' ride public transit to try sharing the ride at least once to get to
work and back".
Mayor Pinard said Try Transit Week has five daily themes that
highlight the contributions that sharing the ride can give to the
community: Clean Air, Clean Environment (Monday, May 17) ; Energy
Conservation (Tuesday, May 18) ; Employee and Customer Appreciation
Day (Wednesday, May 19) ; Better. Mobility For All (Thursday, May
20) ; and Boosting Economic Activity (Friday, May 21) .
During Try Transit Week 93, Mayor Pinard said the SLO Transit is
encouraging motorists to leave their cars home and take public
transportation or share the ride to work. She noted that every
person who switches from the private auto to transit for a year,
will spare the environment 77 pounds of pollution. If every person
in the country who now drives alone to work used public transit
just once a week, we would take more than 1.3 billion pounds
(that's 655,000 TONS) of pollution out of the air each year.
"To boost energy conservation and independence, and to clean up .our
air, we need to change the way our country, and particularly San
Luis Obispo, drives to work", said Mayor-Pinard. "Sharing the ride
to work is the ideal alternative to our- drive alone to work habit,
which is congesting our roads and wasting our country's energy".
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Newsrelease - Try Transit Week
May' 10, 1993
Page Two
"This is not about being anti-car", Mayor Pinard said. "It's about
the. ever-growing use of autos for driving alone to work when
affordable options exist. Remember, it's not- your car that needs
to get to the job, it's you".
Americans each year spend more than two billion hours of work and
family time snarled in traffic jams, reports the American Public
Transit Association (APTA) , an industry trade group. The result is
$40 billion in lost productivity. The Federal Highway
Administration says that it is expected to get much worse: between
1990 and 2005, it says, congestion on the nation's freeways was
expected to increase 400 percent.
The individual cost of auto use can also be overwhelming, according
to APTA. For most households, purchasing, -maintaining, and
operating the family car, or cars, adds up to an expense that is
second only to housing costs. In contrast, the average cost of
using SLO Transit to get to work every day is $16.00 per month.
American cars consume nearly 100 billion gallons of gasoline a
year, about 400 gallons for every man, woman and child in the
country. Because the U.S. imports more than half of its oil, much
.of that money goes overseas.
"For many' reasons, we must look at our commuting habits and
consider alternatives to driving alone", said Mayor Pinard. "The
more dependent we become on oil, the less control we have over our
national well-being and quality of life".
As part of the "Try Transit Week" celebration, Mayor Pinard said,
SLO Transit is honoring its employees and those who already use
transit.
on Wednesday, May 19, SLO Transit will offer a free fare day on SLO
Transit. Use the bus as often as you like on May 19, and there
will be no charge. "Come join us on SLO Transit".
For .further information, contact Harry Watson, Transit Manager at
781-7121.
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ThankYou.
ThankYou.
ThankYou.
Our hats are off today to to public transit workers and riders
everywhere,and especiallyhere.Each workdayinAmerica,265,000
men and women earn their living by making sure the bus or train is
there when you need it.
And during the typical workweek, people share the ride on
public transportation 25 million times to get to work,to shopping,or
to other important destinations.
Today is Transit Appreciation Day here and all across the land.
So whenyou share the ride today,please rememberto say"thanks"to
- our employees for their hard work and.dedication. And remember
that the community says thank you for sharing the ride—you're doing
your part to clean the air, save energy, and unclog our roads.
EmTRYTRANsieNEEKM
Wednesday,May 19
TM NTIT
AFWTA
American Public
TransitAssociation
C-94