Leave the car at home to Dump the Pump

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Thursday marks the seventh annual Dump the Pump Day, created by Capital Metro.

This year, commuters have more options when it comes to the MetroRail.  

Capital Metro spokeswoman Erica McKewen said ridership has tripled in the past two years.

That led CapMetro officials to run the trains faster, shaving nine minutes off the average trip.

It also resulted in two additional runs: one in the morning and a second in the evening.

According to CapMetro, a two-person household can save an average of $10,000 a year by eliminating just one car. Not to mention, using public transpiration can reduce your carbon footprint.

And with MetroRail adding extra runs, commuters have more options.

"We needed to alleviate crowding," said McKewen. "A lot of people are enjoying MetroRail to get to and from work, so it was necessary. And we did it without spending any money."

Capital Metro also has a trip planner on its website to make it easier to figure out if a bus or MetroRail would be best to take into work.