CART employees hope to add a little love this Valentine's Day by waiving fares and handing out "CART loves you" suckers to passengers Tuesday.

"With love in the air, we can waive some fares and hand out some suckers," said Kris Glenn, public relations specialist for OU Parking and Transit Services.

Glenn said the effort is to show appreciation to CART (Cleveland Area Rapid Transit) passengers and hopefully acquire new customers.

"Hopefully we can give them a break one day because they do so much for us," Glenn said. "We want to say thank you to our faithful customers."

Glenn said the event also is intended to attract new riders on Tuesday by waiving the 50-cent CART fare and the $2.25 fare for Sooner Express.

Glenn said OU Parking and Transportation Services officials plan to make Tuesday's free fares the first of many to be offered annually on Valentine's Day.

Free Love, CART

o On Tuesday, CART will wave the 50-cent CART fare and $2.25 fare for Sooner Express.

o CART will also give out free suckers to passengers.

Source: Kris Glenn, public relations specialist for OU Parking and Transit Services

"We want to continue to call it 'CART loves you' in conjunction with Valentine's Day," Glenn said.

Glenn said Theta Dempsey, director of Parking and Transit Services, said the department will assume the costs for one day.

With added business, CART passengers may be able to look forward to more events like this.

Howard Cremeans, CART manager of operations, said CART had 900,000 passengers last year and ought to exceed a million this year.

Plans for the annual event may change depending on the passengers' responses.

Barbara Shove, botany senior, said the CART system offers the best options for getting around on campus.

"It is free, and it drops you off in the middle of the South Oval," Shove said. "There are no parking spots near that good."

Though most of CART's 5,500 to 6,000 customers are students, Glenn said CART wants to erase the stereotype that it is an OU bus.

"We are the only mode of public transportation in Norman," Glenn said.

Cremeans said he thinks the event should increase the number of passengers relying on CART transportation.

"We like to do what we can to increase interest," Cremeans said.

Cremeans said the drivers have always enjoyed special events like the food drive CART held from November to December, during which they accepted cans of food as fare.

"They enjoy what they do so we always have fun," Cremeans said.

Glenn said he hopes this event shows CART passengers their business is appreciated.

"The customers are what make us go," Glenn said. "No pun intended."
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