Greenlink Presents Fare Free Day This Saturday in Celebration of Try Transit Month

Saturday, October 18, 2014 ~

GREENVILLE SC – Those who have never ridden the Greenville area bus system can give it a try this Saturday at no charge when Greenlink presents Fare Free Day in celebration of Try Transit Month.

On Sat., Oct. 18, passengers on all Greenlink routes will enjoy free rides and transfers. As an added benefit, Buy One Get One Free vouchers for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate will be distributed to Greenlink passengers in the downtown transit center at 100 W. McBee Avenue.

Fare Free Day is part of a month long celebration that encourages people to give public transit a try, according to Greenlink Transit Director Mark Rickards. “Try Transit Month is an opportunity for Greenlink to introduce public transit to those who may not have considered it as a transportation option, and a way for us to thank our regular riders with discounts to area attractions that they may not have had the opportunity to visit.”

Those riding any of Greenlink’s 11 fixed routes, as well as the Clemson Commuter and the CU-ICAR Shuttle this Saturday can travel at no charge. Passengers may board a Greenlink bus at any stop or at the downtown transit center. Fixed route buses and the CU-ICAR Shuttle operate from 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Clemson Commuter, which travels from the Greenlink Transit Center to Clemson University with a stop in Easley, operates from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. Schedules and estimated time stops for all routes can be found at www.RideGreenlink.com.

Try Transit Month seeks to educate consumers on the economic and environmental benefits of public transit, Rickards said. For example, studies show that:

·         Every $1 invested in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns.

·         According to the American Public Transportation Association’s Transit Saving Report, a two-person household can save, on average, more than $10,174 a year by downsizing to one car.

·         One person with a 20-mile round trip commute who switches from driving to public transit can reduce his or her daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds, or more than 4,800 pounds in a year.

For more information, visit www.RideGreenlink.com or call 864.467.2700.