Get to Know Your Bus on June 21, National "Dump the Pump Day"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2007

GET TO KNOW YOUR BUS ON JUNE 21, NATIONAL "DUMP THE PUMP DAY"
Metro and TANK kick off new "It's MY Bus" contest for a year's free ride

CINCINNATI - Thursday, June 21 is National Dump the Pump Day, a day that encourages use of public transit to help the environment and save money on gas.

To celebrate, Metro and TANK will kick off a new "It's MY Bus" contest that will run through July 31, 2007. The first-place Metro and TANK winners will each get a year of free rides. Six Metro and six TANK winners will also receive one-month passes. All winners' photos will be featured on a special "It's MY Bus" wrapped bus later this year.

Metro and TANK want riders to share the following: my favorite route, what I do on my bus, what I like best about my bus, and my favorite bus driver.

Entries can be made on-line at www.itsMYbus.com; photos or videos are welcome to illustrate the entry. Or call Metro at (513) 621-4455 or TANK at (859) 331-TANK for an entry form.

It's My Bus video entries on Fountain Square, June 21: Metro and TANK will be on the east side of Fountain Square 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the 3CDC video team taping video entries for the "It's MY Bus" contest. TANK will showcase one of its comfortable express commuter buses and across from Government Square Metro will let customers sit in the driver's seat and check out the engine compartment with a Metro mechanic.

"It doesn't matter if it's Metro or TANK, it's 'my bus' to the customer," said Gina Douthat, TANK's director of Communications and Planning. "There are friendships formed on the bus, baby and wedding showers held en route, people who relax on the commute home. We want to hear all of these stories."

"The bus is a microcosm of our community and we want to celebrate the many ways Metro and TANK touch people's lives," said Sallie Hilvers, chief communications officer for Metro. "We're partners in providing regional transit and the "It's My Bus" program is an extension of that partnership. It's my Metro bus, it's your TANK bus, it's our bus."

National Dump the Pump Day: National Dump the Pump Day is sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association to encourages the public ride public transportation. Almost 100 cities around the country are participating this year. For information, visit www.apta.com.

Metro background: With almost 400 buses, Metro is a non-profit public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 22 million rides in Hamilton County with commuter services in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties. Metro's website is www.go-metro.com.

TANK background: The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky is an integral part of the Northern Kentucky community, serving Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties as well as downtown Cincinnati for more than 30 years. Nearly 4 million passengers each year rely on the more than 100 TANK buses throughout the region to get them where they need to be. TANK is on the web at www.tankbus.org