With high gas prices nationwide, riding a bus is a hit with more and more Americans who want to save money. Now it's a hit with Jimmy Kimmel, host of the Jimmy Kimmel Live late night television show, who put his show, along with his band and guests on a Santa Monica Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, CA. Passengers on the bus become the show's guests, as the bus follows its regular route. The show originally aired on the evening of May 15, but it is being rebroadcast on Monday evening, June 11 (12:05 a.m.ET/PT) on the ABC television network.

"Jimmy enjoys taking convention and twisting it into the unexpected. It was his idea to transport our entire late night talk show operation onto a public bus to give unsuspecting riders quite a surprise," said Jimmy Kimmel Live executive producer Jill Leiderman.

Regular Big Blue Bus passengers include a student from Santa Monica City College who is studying to be a heart surgeon and a young couple who are on their first date.

Show guests include American Idol judge Paula Abdul, rapper and reality-show start Flavor Flav and recording artist Feist. Kimmel makes Erskins Robinson, a veteran Big Blue Bus motor coach operator, another guest, as he shows a pre-recorded video of the bus driver and his life. He also includes a spoof on how fast high gas prices go up.

"I want to compliment Jimmy Kimmel for his support for public transportation and his innovative approach to publicizing public transportation by having the first-ever late night talk show filmed aboard a transit bus," said William W. Millar, president, American Public Transportation Association. "On behalf of the American public transportation industry, I want to give a big thank you to Jimmy Kimmel and his staff for showing that riding a bus is a good and necessary travel option for many people."

"I think Jimmy Kimmel shows people that riding a bus can be a lot of fun," said Big Blue Bus General Manager Stephanie Griffin Negriff. "We can't promise that your next bus trip will include celebrities as passengers, but we can promise a great ride on eco-friendly buses with welcoming drivers like Erskins Robinson."
Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus and Metro Transit in Madison are two of many transit agencies across the country that will be participating in the second annual National Dump the Pump Day on June 21.

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and United States transit agencies are encouraging people to leave their cars at home and ride transit on June 21.

*APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.