Statewide initiative encourages the public to take transit during the week of From September 16th Through 20th.
September 16th through 20th is Try Transit Week in Virginia, and RIDE Solutions is encouraging citizens across southwest and central Virginia to use the opportunity to explore their local transit options.
“Public transportation is an important part of the overall transportation picture in Virginia,” says RIDE Solutions Director Jeremy Holmes. “It gives those who can’t or choose not to drive access to their community, to services, to jobs, and to civic life. In addition to being a vital transportation service, transit also serves our economic and environmental interests by keeping cars off the road, reducing congestion, reducing vehicle emissions, and reducing parking demand in highly-valued developable areas.”
Try Transit Week is a statewide event organized by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to highlight the importance of public transportation. Through the www.trytransitva.org website, citizens can take a pledge to use transit at least once during the week and earn a chance to win free transit for a year and two tickets on any Amtrak Northeast Regional train.
In Roanoke, the City’s Vice Mayor Joseph Cobb made the commitment to use transit during a presentation at the Valley Metro administration building, and encouraged other Roanokers to follow his lead. “With a little planning, taking public transportation is a convenient option for many folks in the City,” said Vice Mayor Cobb. “And while we know there is more to be done to make transit work better for everyone in the valley, Try Transit Week is a good opportunity to learn more about how our existing system works, to give it a try, and to help us make it better.”
In addition to the statewide pledge, RIDE Solutions has partnered with Valley Metro to offer two free trip passes to anyone who registers with RIDE Solutions online at www.ridesolutions.org or via the RIDE Solutions app, and riders who log their trips during the week will be eligible for even more prizes and rewards.
RIDE Solutions is a commuter services program operated by the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission in cooperation with the New River Valley Planning District Commission, the Central Virginia Planning District Commission, and the West Piedmont Planning District Commission. It provides multimodal trip planning services for citizens and employers throughout Central and Southwest Virginia.
