Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation (2008)

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77 The survey research effort was designed to identify factors that influence decisions to support public transportation. The results of the survey analysis, and, in particular, the results of the Path analysis, were examined to identify the factors most strongly associated with support for public transportation. Based on this assessment, the research team developed a com- munications strategy for motivating individuals to act in sup- port of public transportation. 6.1 Summary of Relevant Research Findings From the Path analysis, which compiles responses from the transit use, perception, and values segmentation phases, as well as demographics, and assigns degrees of importance to these variables vis-à-vis their effect on support for public transportation, the researchers find the following: • Current transit use is the greatest behavioral indicator of support. Notably, in the middle- and low-density areas, only about one-half of the sample has ever used any mode of tran- sit, and 10% or less have used it in the last weeks. As would be expected, the penetration of transit use is much higher in the high-density areas, with 73% of respondents saying they had ever used any mode, but even in these areas only 26% claimed to have used public transportation in the last week. • Interestingly, the attribute rating that most closely corre- lates with support for transit is the perception that tran- sit is “for you.” This is particularly significant given that only 32% of the overall sample rated transit as excellent or very good on this attribute. • By contrast, most respondents rate transit high on “help- ing those who can’t afford a car to get around” and “pro- viding mobility to those who can’t drive, such as seniors, teens and people with disabilities.” This may contribute to the perception that transit is primarily for “others,” i.e. for the disadvantaged, which may prove to be a negative for some of the groups in the value segmentation portion of the research, as described later in this section. It seems clear from the above findings that, in order to gain momentum for transit support, an effective communications message must reach beyond current transit users. The values segmentation findings provide further direction for this approach: • Belonging to the values segment labeled Society Do- Gooders correlates with support for transit, as measured by the number of support behaviors exhibited on average by individuals in this group (5.0). Values associated with this group include – Community-based beliefs such as “It’s important for people to be able to improve their lives and the lives of their children”; “Government has a responsibility to improve the community”; “Communities need to help people become more self-sufficient”; and “I’m willing to make compromises to help society.” – Public engagement, i.e., “I want a say in where my tax dollars go” and “I get involved in political and social issues that don’t impact me directly.” – Environmental concerns: “We need to take care of the planet.” • Other values segments that exhibited relatively high levels of transit support include the World And Me segment and the Talkers, Not Walkers segment. The World And Me seg- ment resembles the Society Do-Gooders in their value sys- tem; however, they appear to need a personal connection to an issue in order to support it, as evidenced by an extremely low degree of agreement (1%) with the statement, “I get involved in political and social issues that don’t impact me directly.” For these individuals, the idea that transit is “for others,” may negatively affect support. • The Talkers, Not Walkers, on the other hand, may get involved in an issue that doesn’t affect them directly. Like C H A P T E R 6 Recommended Communication Strategies

the Society Do-Gooders, they believe that “communities need to help people become more self-sufficient”; how- ever, this group does not quite see how transit can help communities fill this role. Combined, the three values segments described above rep- resent 60% of the respondents. Two additional values segments constitute the remainder of the study participants: the Self-Involved, who essentially do not believe that government/communities should have any role in helping others and are not willing to make any sac- rifices for the common good; and the Apathetics, who are uninterested in most issues. Finally, the research determined that there were no meaningful differences by population density group— high, medium, and low—or nationality—U.S. or Cana- dian. Aside from expected demographic and behavioral dif- ferences in the three density areas (more transit use and more apartment dwellers in high-density areas, more cars per household in lower density areas, etc.) there were no significant differences among the three areas in terms of perceptions and values, nor were there any major differ- ences in the Canadian sample. Therefore, for the purposes of developing a communications strategy to promote sup- port for public transportation, the sample was treated as a unified whole. Any demographic and transit usage differ- ences in the three density areas can be addressed in the execution of the campaign. 6.2 Targeting the Broadest Possible Audience In order to generate the greatest support for transit, the message must appeal to the widest potential audience. Based on the research, this would include • Current transit users; • People who agree with the statement, “Transit is for you”; and • Individuals who fall into the values segments, Society Do- Gooders; The World And Me; and Talkers, Not Walkers. The research does not support directly targeting the Self- Involved or the Apathetics. 6.3 Recommended Communications Platform Attempting to persuade a broader audience, beyond tran- sit users, to support public transportation requires a unique message—one that resonates with and reflects its intrinsic value systems. We believe this can be done with a message that emphasizes both the direct benefits to the individual (“for you”) and the community/society benefits. The message must move beyond ridership benefits to communicate the real economic and social benefits that affect every individual, whether they ride transit or not. We therefore recommend taking the next step from the strategy recommended in TCRP Report 63. The earlier strat- egy, “Community Benefits Built on Personal Opportunity,” emphasizes the choices, access, and freedom/mobility that public transportation provides. While the intention here seems to be to suggest that public transportation strengthens the entire community by allowing everyone in the commu- nity to accomplish what is important to them, the primary message still focuses on the benefits of ridership. The next step in positioning seeks to drive home the uni- versal importance and personal relevance of public trans- portation by elevating it to the status of a critical national priority. It is a two-pronged approach: in emphasizing tran- sit’s value it seeks to elevate its importance vis-à-vis other issues; at the same time it seeks to drive the individual to shift from attitudes to action. Recommended Positioning: Public transportation, just like health care and education, is a critical national priority. We all have a stake in supporting public transportation, whether we ride it or not. 6.3.1 Rationale Since the research was conducted for TCRP Report 63, the objective has adapted to current times. The current report is the next step: garnering support for public transportation, irrespective of ridership. With the high price of gas, increased congestion, the fragility of the environment, U.S. dependence on foreign oil, security in light of the events of 9/11 and the war in Iraq, a more serious climate exists today. However, it appears that most people do not think of the positive effect that public transportation has in connection with many of these issues. The communications message must, therefore, create aware- ness and, critically, it must educate the audience on the important role public transportation plays in our society and our economy today, and its potential for far greater positive effect with increased individual, community, and government support. In fact, according to the Center for Transportation Excellence, “The track record for transportation [ballot] measures suggests that people are, contrary to conventional wisdom, very willing to increase local taxes to improve trans- portation when the benefits are clear.” (68). 78

79 6.3.2 Support Messages Key support messages that reinforce the recommended positioning and clarify the personal and universal benefits of public transportation include • Public transportation has economic consequences: en- hanced property/real estate values, employment opportu- nities, growth of communities. • Public transportation has environmental benefits: reduced congestion and reduced pollution. • Public transportation saves productive time by lessening traffic congestion. • Public transportation makes us less dependent on foreign oil. • Public transportation saves us money on gas. • Public transportation enhances our quality of life: reduced personal stress and increased independence for non-drivers. • Public transportation improves our lives and the lives of our children. Besides offering a fresh, new way for the target audience to look at transit, emphasizing the personal benefits may have an added advantage. We believe this new strategy can res- onate with the value groups that exhibited little interest in a community-oriented message, i.e., the Self-Involved and even the Apathetics, particularly if the execution is unique and compelling. 6.3.3 Representative Tagline An advertising agency can develop a number of taglines that reinforce the recommended positioning. One example of a tagline that not only reinforces our recommended posi- tioning but also includes a call to action is Public Transportation. Let’s get going. This tagline works on two levels: it communicates the func- tion of public transportation (to move people) and implores the audience to act in support of this critical service.