Way 2 Go: How Smarter Car Drivers Can Lead to Fuller Buses~or~Changing Transportation Habits Through Community-Based Social Marketing

Can Smart Car Can Smart Car Driving Can Lead to Driving Can Lead to

Fuller Buses?Fuller Buses?OR: OR:

Changing Transportation Changing Transportation Consumer Choices Through Consumer Choices Through

Community-Community-Based Social MarkingBased Social Marking

New York State Public Transit AuthoritySustainability and Innovation Spring Conference

An integrated information An integrated information hub:hub:

Helps people compare and combine Helps people compare and combine transportation strategies.transportation strategies.

Can also serve businesses, employers, Can also serve businesses, employers, and transportation providers/planners. and transportation providers/planners.

Facilitates greater collaboration among Facilitates greater collaboration among transportation providers and advocates.transportation providers and advocates.

Car Car BusBus

WalkWalk

Bicycle Bicycle

Rideshare Rideshare

Carshare Carshare

Car rentalCar rental

TaxiTaxi

Transportation alternatives to the ‘car Transportation alternatives to the ‘car culture’ are mutually interdependent.culture’ are mutually interdependent.

transportation transportation systems, systems, services and services and citizen choices citizen choices

that foster that foster equity, equity, sustainability sustainability and a high and a high quality of lifequality of life

Way2GoWay2Go is here to help bring aboutis here to help bring about

for people that live and/or work in Tompkins County.

Way2Go Way2Go

Information hub: 1-stop shopping of what, Information hub: 1-stop shopping of what, how & why of transportation.how & why of transportation.

Feedback loop: among transportation Feedback loop: among transportation providers, users and advocates.providers, users and advocates.

Social marketing: Help people choose more Social marketing: Help people choose more active and sustainable transportation.active and sustainable transportation.

Designing our plane by Designing our plane by flying it:flying it:

Workshops on ‘getting around’.Workshops on ‘getting around’.

Reaching information Reaching information gatekeepers.gatekeepers.

Getting around for le$$.Getting around for le$$.

Visibility and bite-size info.Visibility and bite-size info.

Join the ‘Whole Community.’Join the ‘Whole Community.’

““If only...”If only...”

Community-Based Social Community-Based Social MarketingMarketing

A practical approach that A practical approach that focuses on identifying and focuses on identifying and removing barriers to removing barriers to change, while encouraging change, while encouraging desired behaviors through desired behaviors through direct contact among direct contact among

community members.community members.

A growing body of research shows that community-A growing body of research shows that community-based social marketing (CBSM) is highly effective… based social marketing (CBSM) is highly effective… and has been successfully used to encourage people and has been successfully used to encourage people

to adopt active and sustainable transportation habits.to adopt active and sustainable transportation habits. - Article by Transport Canada- Article by Transport Canada

1) Specify desired behavior change.1) Specify desired behavior change.

2) Identify barriers.2) Identify barriers.

3) Gather community input.3) Gather community input.

4) Run small, diverse experiments.4) Run small, diverse experiments.

5) Make continuous adjustments.5) Make continuous adjustments.

CBSM in practice:

‘‘I will’ and getting I will’ and getting reminders.reminders.

Peer influence.Peer influence.

It’s making a difference.It’s making a difference.

Making it stick:

““Community-based social marketing Community-based social marketing has been shown to be much more has been shown to be much more effective in promoting active and effective in promoting active and sustainable transportation than mass sustainable transportation than mass marketing.”marketing.”

Mass Marketing Mass Marketing CBSMCBSM

1 type of exposure1 type of exposure Many exposuresMany exposures

1 size fits all 1 size fits all Place- and group-specific infoPlace- and group-specific info

1 source of info1 source of info Foster in-group expertsFoster in-group experts

1 way flow of info1 way flow of info Ongoing dialogOngoing dialog

Schools Project ~ collaborating towards equity.

Employer/employee pilotsEmployer/employee pilots..

Joining with Community Centers Joining with Community Centers and and Events.Events.

Can smarter car driving Can smarter car driving lead to fuller buses?lead to fuller buses?

YES.YES.