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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14128.
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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2008 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP REPORT 122 Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation Subject Areas Public Transit Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation Mindy Rhindress Frank Lynch SRBI, INC. New York, NY Susan Bregman OAK SQUARE RESOURCES, LLC Brighton, MA Rose E. Reichman Nancy J. Coopersmith REICHMAN FRANKLE, INC. Englewood Cliffs, NJ John A. Dunning DUNNING & COMPANY Delray Beach, FL

TCRP REPORT 122 Project B-32 ISSN 1073-4872 ISBN: 978-0-309-09917-2 Library of Congress Control Number 2008920210 © 2008 Transportation Research Board COPYRIGHT PERMISSION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting. TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro- duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran- sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state- ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni- cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro- grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi- nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran- sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 122 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Gwen Chisholm Smith, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Hilary Freer, Senior Editor TCRP PROJECT B-32 PANEL Field of Service Configuration Jeanne Krieg, Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, Antioch, CA (Chair) Debra W. Alexander, Capital Area Transportation Authority, Lansing, MI Phyllis Berry, Broward County (FL) Division of Mass Transit, Pompano Beach, FL Thomas J. Costello, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Urbana, IL Anne Dunning, Clemson University, Clemson, SC Peggy L. Gies, Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX), Orlando, FL Samuel Harrell, Tesoro Refining and Marketing, Inc., San Antonio, TX Wade Lawson, South Jersey Transportation Authority, Atlantic City, NJ Stella Lin, Orange County (CA) Transportation Authority, Orange, CA Yvonne Lyon, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District, Portland, OR Carol Wright, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND Karen Facen, FTA Liaison Ryan Hammon, FTA Liaison William B. Menczer, FTA Liaison Rosemary Sheridan, APTA Liaison Marco D’Angelo, Canadian Urban Transit Association Liaison Peter Shaw, TRB Liaison AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research presented in this report was conducted under TCRP Project B-32 by SRBI, Inc., with Oak Square Resources, LLC, Reichman Frankle Inc., and Dunning & Company. Dr. Mindy Rhindress, Senior Vice President, SRBI, was the Principal Investigator. The other authors of this report were Frank Lynch, Senior Analyst, SRBI; Susan Bregman, Principal, Oak Square Resources, LLC; Rose E. Reichman, Principal, Reichman Frankle, Inc.; Nancy J. Coopersmith, Vice President, Reich- man Frankle, Inc., and John A. Dunning, Principal, Dunning & Company. C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

TCRP Report 122: Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation provides a comprehensive discussion on the methods and strategies used by public transportation agencies in the United States and Canada to enhance their public images and motivate the support and use of public transportation. Additionally, the report identifies and describes methods and strategies used by other industries (compara- ble to public transportation) to enhance their public image and to motivate the support and use of their products and services. Also, this report examines the perceptions, mispercep- tions, and use of public transit, and the extent to which these affect support. Finally, the report identifies effective communication strategies, campaigns, and platforms for motivat- ing individuals to action in support of public transportation, and it recommends ways to execute those communication strategies, campaigns, and platforms. This report will be helpful to transit agencies; elected officials; community leaders; business leaders; and fed- eral, state, and local funding agencies in both the United States and Canada. In 1999, TCRP conducted research to determine current public perceptions of public transportation and to identify how these perceptions might be changed. This research was instrumental in providing guidance in the development of (1) Public Transportation Part- ners for Tomorrow (PT)2, implemented by the American Public Transportation Associa- tion and (2) the Visibility, Image and Positioning (VIP) campaign implemented by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA). The first phase of the (PT)2 and VIP pro- grams focused on the importance of public transportation in providing freedom, mobility, and choice to citizens of the United States and Canada. The strategies employed during this first phase were successful in raising awareness of the need for public transportation and the value it brings to the community. TCRP Report 63: Enhancing the Visibility and Image of Transit in the United States and Canada has been used by many transit systems to design their marketing programs. The study introduced new research concepts and brought new data to the decision-making process. It was necessary to review, validate, and update the information in TCRP Report 63 and to present new developments and research results related to public perceptions that impact public transportation. Beyond this validation, the public transportation industry needed to identify the values and decision-making processes that motivated people to sup- port public transportation. Dr. Mindy Rhindress of SRBI, New York, New York; and Susan Bregman of Oak Square Resources, Brighton, Massachusetts were the report’s principal authors. Also contributing to the research and preparation of the report were Frank Lynch of SRBI, New York, New York; Rose E. Reichman and Nancy J. Coopersmith, of Reichman Frankle, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, F O R E W O R D By Gwen Chisholm Smith Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

New Jersey; and John A. Dunning, of Dunning & Company, Delray Beach, Florida. Under TCRP Project B-32, “Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation,” the research team conducted a comprehensive review of literature, practice, and findings related to transit support. The research team reviewed successful marketing campaigns within the transit community as well as in other industries. To under- stand values, perceptions, and decision-making processes that lead to behaviors that impact the degree of support and use of public transportation and to determine the most effective methods for motivating individuals to take action in support of public transportation, the research team reviewed relevant case studies, performed a series of in-depth interviews with members of the general public, and conducted a large-scale survey with 1,800 respondents. Based on the information gathered, this report identifies the best strategies for accomplish- ing a change in perceptions that motivate people to take action in support of transit.

C O N T E N T S 1 Summary 9 Chapter 1 Introduction 10 Chapter 2 Research Approach 10 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 Overview of Review of Prior Research and Case Studies 10 2.3 Methodology of Primary Research 10 2.3.1 Overview 11 2.3.2 The Sampling Universe for All Primary Research 11 2.3.3 Sample Stratification for All Primary Research 12 Chapter 3 Review of Prior Research and Case Studies 12 3.1 Perceptions of Public Transportation 12 3.2 Transit Industry Stakeholders 13 3.3 Attitudes Toward Public Transportation 13 3.3.1 Overview 14 3.3.2 Seniors 15 3.3.3 Teenagers 15 3.3.4 Anti-Transit Sentiment 16 3.4 Personal Values 16 3.4.1 Characteristics of Transit Linked to Values 18 3.4.2 Comparisons with Driving 19 3.4.3 Safety and Security 19 3.4.4 Status and Choice 19 3.4.5 Environmental Concerns 19 3.4.6 Summary 19 3.5 Market Segmentation 20 3.5.1 Attitude-Based Segmentation 21 3.5.2 Behavior-Based Segmentation 22 3.6 Current Practices in the Transit Industry 22 3.6.1 Challenges of Transit Marketing 23 3.6.2 National Marketing Campaigns 23 3.6.3 Local Initiatives 24 3.7 Opportunities and Challenges 24 3.7.1 Changing Travel Patterns 25 3.7.2 Demographic Shifts 25 3.7.3 Institutional Barriers 26 3.8 Current Practices in Other Industries 26 3.8.1 Attitudes, Values, and Behavior 26 3.8.2 Influence of Attitudes on Behavior 27 3.8.3 Influence of Values on Behavior 28 3.9 Social Marketing

30 3.10 Successful Marketing Campaigns 30 3.10.1 Keep America Beautiful 30 3.10.2 Smokey the Bear 30 3.10.3 Drunk Driving Prevention 30 3.10.4 United Negro College Fund 30 3.10.5 Afterschool Alliance 31 3.10.6 Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino® 31 3.10.7 Toyota 31 3.10.8 GE 31 3.10.9 UnitedHealthcare 33 Chapter 4 Primary Research 33 4.1 In-Depth Exploratory Interviews 33 4.1.1 Role of Transportation 34 4.1.2 Perception of Transit Riders 35 4.1.3 Attitudes Toward Transit 35 4.1.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Transit 37 4.1.5 How Does Transit Fit Into Your Community? 39 4.1.6 Support 40 4.1.7 Value Statements 40 4.2 Preliminary Quantitative Interviews 41 4.2.1 Transit Characteristics and Reasons to Support Transit 41 4.2.2 Values Statements 41 4.3 Full Quantitative Survey 41 4.3.1 Awareness and Use of Local Public Transit and Transit Services 47 4.3.2 Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Transit 54 4.3.3 Current Transit-Supporting Behaviors 59 4.3.4 Personal Deep-Rooted Values 70 Chapter 5 Motivating Support for Transit 70 5.1 The Path Model 70 5.2 Main Drivers of Support 71 5.3 Main Drivers of Support by Population Density 71 5.3.1 Drivers of Support in Low-Population Density Markets 72 5.3.2 Drivers of Support in Medium-Population Density Markets 72 5.3.3 Drivers of Support in High-Population Density Markets 77 Chapter 6 Recommended Communication Strategies 77 6.1 Summary of Relevant Research Findings 78 6.2 Targeting the Broadest Possible Audience 78 6.3 Recommended Communications Platform 78 6.3.1 Rationale 79 6.3.2 Support Messages 79 6.3.3 Representative Tagline 80 References

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TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 122: Understanding How to Motivate Communities to Support and Ride Public Transportation explores the methods and strategies used by public transportation agencies in the United States and Canada to enhance their public images and motivate the support and use of public transportation. The report identifies and describes methods and strategies used by other industries (comparable to public transportation) to enhance their public image and to motivate the support and use of their products and services. This report also examines the perceptions, misperceptions, and use of public transit, and the extent to which these affect support. Finally, the report identifies effective communication strategies, campaigns, and platforms for motivating individuals to action in support of public transportation, as well as ways to execute those communication strategies, campaigns, and platforms.

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