Bismarck-Mandan Community Can Catch a FREE Bus Ride on Thursday

National "Dump the Pump" Day takes place on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

June 17, 2021, is National "Dump the Pump" Day. On that day, instead of driving to work, the gym, other daily destinations, Americans are encouraged to take public transportation. And the City of Bismarck will actively observe the day in a cool way.

According to There is a Day for That!, Dump the Pump Day is a "national public awareness day that encourages people to “Dump the Pump” by parking their car and riding a bus or train instead." The people in charge of the Capital Area Transit are doing their part to encourage the community to "dump the pump." This Thursday, the Bismarck-Mandan CAT Bus will be offering FREE RIDES.

CAT Bus in Bismarck-Mandan is offering free rides this Thursday only!

CAT Bus made the free ride announcement on their Facebook page. The CAT Bus fare typcially costs $1.50 for a one-way ride or $6.00 for a single day pass, but it will be entirely free on Thursday only. KFYR-TV reports that people can inquire about free rides by calling 701-258-6817 or emailing info@bismantransit.com.

Public transportation options are not just "for the big cities."

North Dakota cities are not the most walkable - most people do not have immediate, direct access to stores, restaurants, other businesses. And not everybody has reliable transportation. As someone who has temporarily been carless, I can understand how small a person's world gets and how difficult it can be to have little-to-no transportation access.

Of course, many large cities have ample access to public transportation, but it has not always been readily available in North Dakota - and we still have a way to go. But it is encouraging to know that there are efforts in place to meet the transportation needs in our communities.