1 / 14

Advancing Transit Improvement Measures Through Effective Community Outreach

Advancing Transit Improvement Measures Through Effective Community Outreach. Lyndon Henry Data Analyst Capital Metro • Austin, Tx. CFTE Transit Initiatives Conference Austin, Texas 11 June 2007. Experience from Rail Transit Ballot Measures. Austin – 2000 , 2004 San Antonio – 2000

coby
Download Presentation

Advancing Transit Improvement Measures Through Effective Community Outreach

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Advancing Transit Improvement Measures Through Effective Community Outreach Lyndon Henry Data Analyst Capital Metro • Austin, Tx CFTE Transit Initiatives Conference Austin, Texas 11 June 2007

  2. Experience from Rail Transit Ballot Measures • Austin – 2000, 2004 • San Antonio – 2000 • Kansas City – 2001, 2006 • Cincinnati – 2002 • Houston – 2003 • Tucson – 2003, 2006 • Won• Lost

  3. Rail Transit Ballot Measures Are Very Different! • Not like most electoral campaigns • Rail (and sometimes Quality Bus) is usually unfamiliar • Rail conjures images of freight trains • Prominent – attracts intense scrutiny • Impacts an entire corridor of neighborhoods • Unites diverse range of opponents • Well-funded brigade of professional critics

  4. 3 Main Allies in Transit Improvement Efforts • Grassroots pro-transit groups • Transit agency leadership and staff • Local civic leadership “Hang together, or hang separately…” Translation: Be on the same page…

  5. Transit Coalition Strategy • Transit agency's image is important • Make sure accomplishments are emphasized • Don't miss opportunities • Don't promise the impossible (“Rail project will solve congestion”) • Emphasize value of real-world, achievable goals (“Rail line will carry 30% of peak travel in the Lamar corridor by 2020”) • Always assume it’s an uphill struggle • Grassroots organizers critical – it’s not all mass media and official forums • GOTV – and don’t forget early voting!

  6. Responding to Critics • Don't ignore them • Don't miss opportunities, including debates (“ostrich” tactic doesn't work) • Don't echo opponents' slogans (They say “Transit Sucks!” We say “No!”) • Don't try to respond to every single detail • Avoid confusing, mind-numbing "numbers trivia“ • Focus on refuting 2-3 critical points to establish credibility – try using humor • Supporters’ credibility vs. opponents’ • Keep larger vision and message in view • Beware late-campaign “bombshells” (endorsements, “research reports”, etc.)

  7. Austin Light Rail Campaign (2000) • Legacy of strong grassroots support for rail transit • Excellent transit plan – no new taxes! • $600 million plan = big risk • Awful transit agency image – legacy of scandal • “We can't lose” attitude • Early disorganization and missed opportunities • Resources expended on “branding” and “Light rail will cure congestion” message • No clearly defined message – everyone on a different page • Surprised by critics’ claims, “numbers” game • Effective coordination only in last few months

  8. Austin All Systems Go Campaign (2004) • Legacy of grassroots support for rail transit • Much less ambitious, less costly plan • $90 million = much smaller risk • Plan backed by some former opponents – broader community buy-in • Agency image boosted by excellent transit awareness campaign (“You've gotta ride!” and “All Systems Go”) • Strong campaign organization – coordinated, clear message • “Uphill struggle” attitude

  9. Conclusions

  10. Grassroots Pro-Transit Groups • Major role in informing, “educating”, and mobilizing the public • Valuable source of ideas and information for transit agency • Need to avoid adversarial role with transit agency • Need to understand dynamics of transit agency • Need to learn art of persuasion

  11. Transit Agency • Need to respect & listen to grassroots input • Transit agency's image is important • Make sure accomplishments are emphasized • Provide facts & figures • Avoid “answer panic” • Be aware of informational resources

  12. Civic Leadership • “Grand Vision” important - but so are facts • Public & voters expect some solid answers • Focus on 2-3 most critical or vulnerable issues • Don't echo opponents' slogans • Don't miss opportunities, including debates (“ostrich” tactic doesn't work) • Organize & coordinate campaign and message – ensure everyone “on the same page”

  13. Valuable Informational Resources • Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE) – CFTE.org • Light Rail Now - LightRailNow.org • Victoria Transport Policy Institute - VTPI.org • APTA Public Transportation website - PublicTransportation.org • PublicTransit.us • Regional transit advocacy sites (e.g., Denver Transit Alliance)

  14. Lyndon Henry Data Analyst 512.369-7756 Lyndon.henry@capmetro.org 512.441-3014 Nawdry@bga.com

More Related