How would you like to travel throughout Hamilton, see new things, preserve the environment, and save some cash?

It may sound like a late-night television commercial pitch, but Environment Hamilton has created sightseeing trips for the eco-friendly traveller.

This week Environment Hamilton has teamed up with the city's Hamilton Street Railway, and Tourism Hamilton to offer discounts to over 60 locations throughout the city while your are riding a bus.

By purchasing an $8 day pass, participants can get a admission discount at a local city facility or a deal at a local restaurant. The day pass is good for two adults and up to six children to ride the city's public transit all day. The discounts have to be used the same day as you purchase the day pass.

Brenda Johnson, executive director of Environment Hamilton, who helped create the partnership between the city and various businesses, said a 2006 survey the organization conducted revealed only 30 per cent of city residents knew about the HSR's day pass. It prompted her to ponder how to make people more environmentally aware of such a great bargain the city was offering.

"(The day pass) is probably the most undermarketed deal there is and no one knew about it," she said. "I also wanted something to get my friends out of their SUVs, while also appealing to people who are living below the low income level.

"This is a win-win program. It will keep people in Hamilton, and they can discover the great places in the city."

The day pass allows for any number of combinations of people to use it, such as six youths under 19, or one adult and five kids.

Ms. Johnson said Environment Hamilton will target kids to use the day pass, who will then hopefully get their parents to join them on a bus trip.

Still, there remains the stigma about riding a bus to a destination, said Ms. Johnson, that will be hard to break.

Yet as gas prices keep skyrocketing, public transit may become the "coolest" way to travel in the future, she said.

"In Toronto (public transit) is a necessity," she said.

A few of the facilities that are included in the discount package include Lakeland Pool, any city of Hamilton Recreation Centre, Hamilton Civic Museums, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Canadian Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dundurn Castle, Williams Coffee Pub on the Waterfront and The Freeway Cafe. All the facilities are located on a HSR route," said Ms. Johnson.

For those people undecided about which places to visit, there are about 10 trips already planned out for them, says Ms. Johnson, that are based on themes, such as sports and museums. Each trip also identifies how much it will cost such as under $10 or under $20.

There are about 30 locations for people to pick up a travel map and the day pass, including municipal service centres, and the former Robert Land School, said Ms. Johnson. All the information is on the EH website.

"We are trying to get the information into those neighbourhoods with a high level of low income people," she said.

The program is the first to be introduced in an Ontario municipality. Kingston, said Ms. Johnson, tried it but eventually discontinued the program; Montreal has a two-day pass, but it doesn't emphasize using public transit, and Toronto's bus pass is used only for weekends. The program will be available until Dec. 31, but Ms. Johnson hopes to make it a yearly event.

EH received about $50,000 from the federal government through its Moving on to Sustainable Transportation grant, and also received funding from the city of Hamilton and Hamilton Community Foundation. Next year, Ms. Johnson is hoping to attract sponsors to get behind the program.

"It may take a while for people to use it," said Ms. Johnson. "It means breaking people's driving habits. But we are trying to make seeing our city sustainable and fun for the whole family to enjoy."