All Cleveland Area Rapid Transit bus routes, including the Sooner Express to Oklahoma City, will be free to the public Wednesday in celebration of Earth Day.

CART and Metro Transit in Oklahoma City are teaming up as part of an initiative to promote public transportation in the region.

“Not only is it economical, it is environmentally friendly for the metro area and the region,” CART spokesman Kris Glenn said.

Michael Scroggins, Metro Transit spokesman, said the purpose of the free bus fare is to help lower emissions during Earth Day, removing the barrier of cost and to help others look at public transportation differently.

“I think culturally, we have a romance with the car and we associate that with freedom that is ingrained in us at an early age,” Scroggins said. “We need to make a culture change.”

Glenn said a recent American Public Transportation Association report states one bus replaces an average of 45 cars, drastically reducing the carbon footprints in the region.

He said CART buses also help the environment because CART is the only public transportation system in Oklahoma to operate solely on alternative fuels.

“Riding the bus in Norman is a greener option to driving around in your car,” he said. “With our vehicles being powered by either compressed natural gas or biodiesel, Norman transit users contribute to a better environment.”

CART is part of OU, but Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said Norman citizens are lucky to have access to a public transportation system like CART.

“While OU students are CART’s top priority, Norman citizens are very fortunate through the city of Norman’s close relationship with the university’s public transportation system,” she said.

Glenn said CART is able to serve most of urban Norman because the streets are laid out well, but CART also is working with the city to expand its program.

They are working to include more bus routes, later hours of operation, a Sunday bus route and converting the loop route system into a linear system for 15-minute stop intervals instead of 30-minute intervals.

Glenn said CART hopefully will be the answer to future environmental problems.

“CART sees itself as the transportation system of Norman and as an environmental solution in the long run,” he said.

Rosenthal said the use of more public transportation would benefit Norman inside and out of its boundaries.

“CART should be applauded in the use of alternative fuels, and if the free bus fares means encouraging people to ride the bus and to learn more about it, it is a good opportunity,” she said.