In the days of nearly $4 gasoline, many Oklahomans are looking for ways to cut down on driving.

In Norman, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit is encouraging more people to take public transportation Thursday in its Dump the Pump initiative.

"The effort is aimed at publicizing Norman's public transportation system as a viable, economic and environmentally friendly mobility option," CART spokesman Kris Glenn wrote in an e-mail.

Dump the Pump is a national initiative sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association. APTA encourages transit systems across the nation to be involved by promoting public transportation usage on this particular day; however, each system chooses how to participate, Glenn said.

CART will offer free bus rides all day and free T-shirts to all passengers.

Also, several city council members, Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and local business leaders will participate in Dump the Pump by riding the bus for some part of the day Thursday, Glenn said.

One group is meeting on the bus. The Cleveland County Continuum of Care, Norman's social services executive directors and leaders, has scheduled its monthly meeting on the bus 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the Alameda/East Norman route.

Also, the Healthy Community Coalition will ride the bus as a group from Norman Regional Hospital to Andrews Park for the Dump the Pump rally.

The rally will be 6-8 p.m. at Andrews Park. It will feature a live concert by local band the Hosty Duo; prize giveaways, including a bicycle, restaurant gift cards, a free hotel stay and more; appearances by local elected officials and live coverage from Oklahoma City radio station Jack FM (97.3).

The city council officially proclaimed Thursday Dump the Pump Day.

Ward 4 Councilperson Carol Price-Dillingham said she supports Dump the Pump because using public transportation benefits the environment and its citizens.

"Obviously everybody's feeling the pinch of high gas prices, but more than that, public transportation is a way to connect people in our city to each other and to the places they need to go," she said.

Price-Dillingham said she plans to ride the bus Thursday and find out information she can use as she helps the city develop a long-term transportation plan.

"I'm very interested in riding the bus that day and seeing where the people feel some of our transportation gaps are," she said.

Tish Marek, community relations officer at Republic Bank and Trust, is encouraging all Republic's employees to ride the bus Thursday.