Austin, Texas
Linda S. Watson
President/CEO
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
A shift in the public perception of transit has already begun. Rising fuel prices, a growing interest in sustainable living, and the overall increase of transportation costs to our family budgets are leading people to reconsider their mode of transportation. Mass transit is becoming an obvious choice.
However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done and there are three things we can do to improve the image of public transit. The first step starts at the top of the org chart. In addition to transit experience and good managerial skills, transit executives, CEOs in particular, must be involved in the community and develop solid external relationships. Just as agency managers should know the employees who drive the bus or turn the wrench, CEO's must reach outside the organization to stakeholders and civic leaders. This also includes building community and business partnerships. At Capital Metro, one of our key objectives is to develop relationships with local businesses and major employers. We regularly reach out to these groups not just to increase ridership but to help build our image and credibility.
A prime example of a successful partnership is our local agreement with Austin Community College, known as the Green Pass program, which allows ACC students, faculty and staff to ride Capital Metro at no cost. The program is funded through a sustainability fee in tuition and the college reimburses Capital Metro for bus, rail and MetroAccess trips. In March, there were 107,830 bus and rail trips with the Green Pass, a 290 percent increase in ridership since the program began a little more than a year ago.
Second, transit systems need to restructure and repackage the way we have been providing bus services for decades. We have proven that we can do a good job of capturing the transit dependent market and that is the core of many of our systems. But reaching the next level requires a different approach.
During my time at Lynx in central Florida, we created the PickUpLine designed to connect riders from outlying areas with small circulator vehicles to high-frequency fixed-route service on major corridors. This proved to be valuable; the flex-type service addressed the need to serve low-density communities with high-quality but lower-cost service. The communities love the personalized service but when people see the smaller vehicles they believe the transit system is being more efficient and using tax dollars wisely.
Finally, enhancements in technology should be a priority to everyone in the transit industry. According to a study from Latitude Research and The Next American City, smartphones can play a major role in encouraging people to choose transit over their automobile. In today's era of readily accessible information, we have an opportunity to utilize technology in developing smart buses stopping at smart stops, driving on smart streets. Implementing high-tech features not only improves the perception of transit service but it also appeals to a younger generation, who will hopefully grow into lifelong transit users.
Capital Metro is piloting a campaign that delivers bus schedule information to a rider's phone, in various formats. QR codes are at the center of the campaign. When customers scan the code at a bus stop, they get a mobile website with the next several scheduled departures from that stop, as well as a map and a trip planner.
Cookies embedded with a QR code were given to MetroRail riders on the one-year anniversary to educate them on the new information tool.
Capital Metro also partners with a text-messaging service called Dadnab that allows users to text an origin and destination to receive a text back with trip information. Since the launch of the service, we worked with Dadnab to make enhancements. As a result, users can also text the bus stop ID number for a specific stop to receive the next three departures.
Shifting public perception of transit starts at the top and requires a team; everyone has a role in the process. Creating new approaches and generating a "buzz" about what you are doing is fun, builds system morale and changes perceptions.
Winter Springs, Fla.
Robert (Bob) E. Furniss
Vice President, Business Development and Sales, U.S. Rolling Stock, Locomotives and High Speed Rail
Bombardier Transportation.
If You Want More Transit Options Locally, Help Get the Public Onboard to Support Transit Solutions
With the world economy still on shaky ground, some would have us believe that now is not the best time to invest in passenger rail. However, I believe that the exact opposite is true, that The Climate is Right for Trains. Many people intuitively understand that rail is good for the environment, but – unless we all help spread the word – they may not understand why it's also good for the economy. Rail transit and related infrastructure delivers a great return on investment, since it:
- Generates economic expansion in construction and manufacturing
- Revitalizes city centers and spurs urban renewal and related economic investments while making optimal use of scarce urban land
- Attracts employers to the region by providing mobility options for employees and customers
- Increases property values near smart growth centers
- Improves quality of life, eases congestion and preserves the environment
One need look no further than the so called "BRIC" nations. Brazil, Russia, India and China are all investing for the future with greater emphasis on passenger rail. Clearly people all over the world recognize the long-term economic, societal and environmental benefits world-class passenger rail systems deliver. So the question remains, how do we, as transit advocates, help North American audiences see the benefits for themselves?
Step one is to simply get involved in communicating the societal benefits of rail at every turn. Countless efforts at public education are underway, many targeting younger audiences. That's because today's youth are largely unencumbered by outdated views of more traditional transportation, highly conscious of the environment, concerned about good jobs, and are becoming more politically motivated. Here are just a few ways transportation leaders are reaching out to this important audience:
- The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently sponsored a National Public Transportation Career day to introduce students, grades K-12, to careers in the public transportation industry.
- APTA is also hosting a Youth Summit in June in Washington, D.C., to bring together high school students from across the United States and Canada to demonstrate how transit can provide better communities and a healthier environment.
- The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) is hosting five regional Youth Summits this spring and summer. The goal is to facilitate the exchange of ideas on transit and sustainable urban transportation issues, while teaching leadership skills to advocate for smart transportation policies.
Targeting the young, however, is just one way among many. Other initiatives include APTA's annual national "Dump the Pump" day (June 16) and the various "Car Free Day" events held in such cities as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Amtrak's National Train Day educates the public about the advantages of rail travel and the history of trains in the United States by hosting public events at Amtrak stations and railroad museums across the country.
As a global leader in rail equipment manufacturing and servicing, Bombardier Transportation actively supports these efforts to help spread the word about the important contributions that transit options, such as passenger rail, provide. Helping current policymakers, the public and next generation leaders to understand the benefits of investing in the future of transportation is key to earning public support.
Getting public support for any issue, much less transit issues, is far from certain, and it won't happen overnight. However, if we keep the pressure up and get beyond the usual suspects to target wider audiences, younger audiences and opinion leaders everywhere we can help reframe the debate in favor of transit solutions.
To help spread the word on the benefits of sustainable transportation, please visit www.theclimateisrightfortrains.com for additional facts and case studies.
The Climate is Right for Trains is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
