The proclamation was made on Thursday morning at the City Hall Council Chambers and began a tradition the city hopes to continue for years to come.
"As the mass transit board representative on the Laredo and Webb County Metropolitan Planning Organization, I am proud to be here along with Mayor Pete Saenz to proclaim the third Thursday of June as Dump the Pump Day in Laredo," City of Laredo District VII Council Member Vanessa Perez said. "Today, we joined hundreds of other municipalities across the country in recognition of the 16th annual Dump the Pump Day. The American Public Transportation Association, which is the only organization that represents all public transportation organization systems, began recognizing this day back in 2006 with the goal of encouraging commuters to use public transportation to help the environment, save money and improve our quality of life."
According to Perez, taking a car to work is something some people cannot give up because of traveling far for work. However, she said activities like walking, carpooling and cycling to work are great ways for others to avoid using a vehicle for a day.
Perez said people could save up to $10,000 in costs by just using one vehicle instead of several for a family and by using public transportation as well.
During the event, Perez also announced the acquisition by the city of its first hybrid-diesel bus.
"Our new diesel bus will begin operating on Monday, June 21," Perez said. "You will notice the green striping that distinguishes it from our other buses. We are excited for our community to begin utilizing it, and moving forward citizens of Laredo will benefit from using advancements in renewable energy and from the efforts to reduce unnecessary emissions."
El Metro's management also expressed great excitement for the unveiling of the new bus as it is one of many they hope they bring to the city.
"The introduction of our first diesel-hybrid bus is a transformative stepping stone for the City Of Laredo," El Metro General Manager Claudia San Miguel said. "This environmentally-friendly bus is a prime example of the commitment of the transit system to not only provide a safe and reliable service, but one that protects the environmental sustainability of our great city".
During the proclamation and unveiling ceremony, the mayor also provided comments on the importance of El Metro.
"We are connecting people as you really are taking someone from one venue to another venue for a purpose, and the reason why it is important to that person is because they can help, medical attention, to see a friend, take care of business, so it's truly a vital thing," Saenz said.
The mayor also announced on Thursday an incentive that will be provided to all Laredoans who use the El Metro services on Sunday, June 27.
"As an incentive for the community to use public transportation, all fares will be waived for anyone riding El Metro transit on Sunday, June 27," Saenz said. "The city and Webb County are building initiatives for the community to learn which routes they can take to go to work with public transportations, raise awareness of free Wi-Fi on buses and more."
City management also expressed that proclaiming days to leave the pump in exchange for public transportation is essential to help the city's air quality and other natural resources stay protected. They are already being impacted from the trucking industry as the Gateway City serves as the largest land port in the Western Hemisphere.
"We need to reduce our carbon footprint as we are obviously the number one land port, and we promote that quite often and we say that a lot and that is great, but that also comes with a lot of challenges because that also means that we have a huge carbon footprint," Laredo City Manager Robert Eads said. "So we have a lot of blessings but a lot of challenges there."
The mayor agreed and urged people to use more public transportation throughout the year.
"We encourage all citizens to go out and use the Metro," Saenz said. "By using public transportation we save money, but we also help the environment."
©2021 Laredo Morning Times, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
