A CART bus brings students to campus Wednesday afternoon. CART is sponsoring a "Dump the Pump" event Thursday with free bus rides, prizes, free t-shirts, and a concert held at Andrews Park at 6 pm. Jacob Vogt/ The Daily

Norman residents can ride the city’s bus system for free Thursday as part of “Dump the Pump,” a national initiative promoting public transportation.

The one-day event also will feature promotional giveaways, jugglers and performers at several bus stops; a date auction and a free concert at Andrews Park from Norman’s own hometown band Resident Funk.

Dump the Pump is in its fourth year in Norman, and awareness of the event has grown tremendously since the first year, CART spokesman Kris Glenn said.

“The first year was very new to CART, so it was not promoted as well as it is now,” Glenn said. “In the second year, there was about a 14 percent ridership increase, and CART realized for 2008 with the gas price increases, CART really needed to do something big, and that’s when we offered the free rides.”

In 2008, 2,200 people rode the bus on Dump the Pump day, twice the average daily number of riders, Glenn said. Over the past year, CART’s daily ridership has increased 14 percent, he said.

Dump the Pump is part of a national project from the American Public Transportation Association, and takes place annually on the third Thursday in June. Those who ride the bus during the day have a chance to win $100, a Nintendo Wii, a bicycle and a pair of OU football tickets to the game of their choice.

Kara Joy McKee, Norman Sustainability Network spokeswoman, said many people are unaware of how convenient the CART system can be.

“It seems like people don’t really realize how convenient and easy it is to ride CART until they try it,” McKee said. “We keep cheering ourselves on, saying ‘Get on the bus!’”

McKee said this is the first year the event will feature a bus-date auction, which will include ride-oriented date opportunities with several members of NSN as well as Chris David, the lead singer for Resident Funk.

“We’ve all found that riding the bus is a really economical way to get to know someone, because no one has to worry about driving,” McKee said. “For students, you can have a few drinks with a date and get on the bus and not have to worry about driving intoxicated. All of the loops take you to great places in Norman.”

McKee said she thinks support for increased public transportation in Norman is gaining momentum, and Dump the Pump is the major outlet for that support.

“Looking at our Facebook group, there are many comments from people both living in Norman and who used to live in Norman who are really excited,” she said. “The only way to make the bus system better is to demonstrate there is support for it, and the only way to expand is to increase ridership. I think the citizens of Norman are ready for that kind of convenient economical mass-transit system.”

Norman Dump the Pump Rally

Andrews Park

201. W. Daws

6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Thursday

Free CART rides, all day