Thursday, June 15th is National Dump the Pump Day and the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is leading local efforts to encourage alternative travel methods with a number of incentives, all thanks to the support of the Charleston Riverdogs, Affordabike Bike Shop and Charleston Moves.
Those who want to dump the pump can review CARTA routes, let Google Maps help with planning and follow buses with the CARTA Bus Tracker. CARTA also provides free WiFi on all buses. Regular fares are just $2 one-way. Express rates are $3.50 and the Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) is free.
“Traffic is huge issue in the Lowcountry and on National Dump the Pump Day, we have a chance, as a region, to do something about it,” said CARTA Board Chairman Mike Seekings. “We encourage everyone to ride CARTA, hop on a bike, plan to carpool or even walk to work. Let's see what our region looks like with a community committed to alternative modes of transportation.”
CARTA incentives on Dump the Pump Day include:
- A 30 percent discount on Charleston RiverDogs tickets for those who use the promo code dumpthepump on the team's website. Discount applicable until 5 p.m. Thursday, June 15 for the day's home game against the West Virginia Power. In addition, a CARTA vehicle offering air-conditioning, giveaways and free WiFi will be stationed outside the stadium.
- A Dump The Pump social media contest, with a grand prize of a free bike to two winners who post a photo of themselves biking, walking or using public transit on June 15 , along with the hash tag #DumpThePumpCHS. Giveaway will be hosted on the CARTA Facebook Twitter and Instagram accounts and TriCounty Link Facebook page. Promotion made possible by Affordabike Bike Shop.
- A CARTA vehicle offering air-conditioning, giveaways and free WiFi at Marion Square from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 15 . Charleston Moves will also be present with a mobile bike rack for the general public to use.
- Residents can see how much they'll save by Dumping the Pump when they use this Commute Cost Calculator.
- Trident Rideshare: A free, web-based, carpooling program that can be used by everyone who starts their commute in the Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester region.
Everyone who rides transit or dumps the pump is encouraged to post on social media using the #DumpThePumpCHS hash tag. Local businesses that wish to get involved are encouraged to:
- Promote Dump the Pump via social media, email channels and in physical locations
- Encourage and incentivize employees to participate
- Provide some level of resources to help incentivize #DumpThePumpCHS
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Editor’s Note – this was an unedited press release
