The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority announced Tuesday that it’s starting a petition drive to support any local funding options that might improve mass transit.

CIRTA and other transit groups said they’ll gather signatures in an effort to show state lawmakers the amount of backing for referenda targeting transit.

The groups plan to deliver the signatures to lawmakers when the next legislative session convenes in January. They declined to set a goal for the number of signatures they hope to gather, a spokeswoman for CIRTA said.

“We know that improved transit is a high priority for many central Indiana residents,” CIRTA Executive Director Ehren Bingaman said in a written statement. “We want to make sure our lawmakers know it as well.”

Central Indiana residents can go to www.CIRTA.us to sign a petition, and petitions also will be available throughout the summer at various local fairs and festivals.

The authority also is encouraging businesses, not-for-profits and organizations to submit resolutions supporting referenda.

IndyGo, in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association’s annual Dump the Pump Day, is offering free rides on its fixed-route and open-door buses for the entire day on Thursday.