CARTA is inviting the public to ride the bus at no charge all day Thursday.
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority stands among transportation authorities across the country participating in the 11th National Dump the Pump day. The day highlights the benefits of public transportation.
"We're putting public transportation out there as a transportation option," said Veronica Peebles, CARTA's manager of communications. "If you try it, we're convinced that you would be interested in using the service again."
And for a whole day, people ride the bus free.
"We're pushing the message that public transportation is an economical alternative to using your vehicle," Peebles said.
Generally, bus fare is $1.50 a ride for adults. Seniors 65 and older pay 75 cents. Children 5 and under ride free.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, a two-person household can save on average $9,474 a year by downsizing to one car.
Passengers save in gasoline and maintenance. And buses offer perks like Wi-Fi and air conditioning. CARTA offers texting and apps that allow passenger to see exactly where the bus is and when it will arrive.
From July 2014 to the end of April 2015, CARTA carried 2,508,939 riders a year. This year, the number increased by 43,642 riders to 2,552,582, Peebles said.
Public transportation is dependable and economical, said longtime bus rider Rhona Underwood of Chattanooga.
"It's my only means of transportation, but it gets me where I need to go," she said Monday while riding from downtown to Alton Park.
"You can pay $4 and ride all day," she said. "Ask someone to take you and they want to charge you $10 or $20."
Romeka Kelly has a car but rode the bus for the first time Monday morning when her car broke down.
"It's better than spending $10 to catch a cab," Kelly said.
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6431.