Way2Go Quarter 3 Report

Way2Go Quarter 3 Report

July 1 – September 30, 2014

Date: October 15, 2014

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Introduction Way2Go is a community mobility education program that envisions a community with transportation equity, accessibility and sustainability. In the third quarter of 2014, Way2Go deployed a broad range of programs to address transportation needs and sustainability in Tompkins County. Over 2,000 individuals were directly reached by Way2Go events in the third quarter and over 5,000 viewers were reached by Way2Go’s online content. Highlights from 1st Quarter *Way2Go, in partnership with Bike Walk Tompkins, led the fifth successful Streets Alive Ithaca event in the Southside Community providing over 2000 diverse community members with an opportunity to bike, walk, and roll through streets that are closed to cars and open to people and an opportunity to learn about transportation options.

*Facilitated meetings to develop a pilot Emergency Ride Home Program and brought together the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, TCAT and College town Cab and Ithaca dispatch. *Coordinated with DIA and the downtown business retention manager to explore transportation outreach strategies for downtown employers. *Way2Go relaunched the CCE bikeshare system in September leading to increased usage of the staff bikes. One staff commented: “my car recently broke down so having the staff bike has allowed me to get around for work. I may even go car free!” *Received $2,000 worth of bus passes from TCAT’s community access fund to help students participate in extracurricular school-based activities. *Launched collaborative ridesharing and TCAT bus passes for student programs in the Ithaca City School District; a parent recently called Way2Go for help with GeoBatching and coordinating ridesharing. *The Way2Go-led Faster & Farther Network continued our high level of collaboration with TCAT by hosting TCAT’s interactive service planning exercise at our October 7th meeting. *The F&F Network introduced two new members this quarter, including Rena Scroggins, the new Director of Bike Walk Tompkins, who said “it was great to come to Faster & Farther to meet people and get more familiar with everyone’s transportation-related efforts.” *A Way2Go launched in Oneida and Herkimer Counties with support from Tompkins County. Way2Go Tompkins provided support and training to staff in Way2Go Oneida and Herkimer in Q3. In addition, Way2Go Tompkins provided assistance to Cooperative Extension in Chemung County as they begin offering transportation education.

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Report Contents

1. One-Call, One-Click to Transportation Options .................................................. 2

2. Employer Education Program ........................................................................ 4

3. Senior Transportation Education .................................................................... 6

4. Travel Training Coordination ........................................................................ 6

5. Transportation for School Success (K-12) ......................................................... 7

6. Helping Professionals Program ...................................................................... 8

7. Faster & Farther Network ............................................................................ 9

8. Way2Go in a Box/Regional Mobility Manager Outreach ........................................ 10

9. Community Events & Festival Outreach .......................................................... 11

10. Sustainable Transportation Education ........................................................... 11

11. Way2Go in the Media ............................................................................... 13

12. Summary of Events .................................................................................. 13

1. One-Call, One-Click to Transportation Options Goals: transportation providers, information services and supports function in an integrated system that allows individuals to conveniently find transportation information and support Summary In Q3 2014, Way2Go used Way2Go.org and Way2Go’s Facebook page Way2Go to provide convenient access to transportation information online to thousands of residents in Tompkins County. In addition, Way2Go’s contract with 211 to provide one call access to transportation provided quick access to transportation information by phone 24 hours day. Way2Go.org continues to be one of our most detailed sources of information regarding up-to-date information about the various transportation programs and services within the county. The Way2Go website saw 3,396 visitors between July and September with an average viewing time of 2 minutes and 19 seconds. The most viewed pages were:

• The Way2Go homepage • Driving Classes • Regional Buses • Gadabout

Explore Your Options - From Way2Go's Website

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Our largest referral source continues to be Google, followed by people typing www.way2go.org into their web browser. Ithaca.edu and Ithacacarshare.org were other common referral sources. Direct referrals from partnering organizations indicate the value of our collaborative efforts in reaching key audiences and becoming more visible in the community. One-Call Center. The Human Service Coalition and Way2Go One-Call, One-Click partnership continues to support consumers that have specific transportation needs. 569 consumers called the 2-1-1 consumer call line with transportation needs Way2Go’s Facebook page. Way2Go page reached 280 likes by October, with an estimated reach of over 1,635 Facebook users in the United States. Way2Go’s Facebook page has experienced a gradual increase of likes through time. Way2Go increases its audience through regular social media posts. Additionally, Facebook analytics provided the following information about our audience:

• 29% of our audience are between the ages of 25-34 • 74% are women and 25% are men • 170 members of the audience list their “home” as Ithaca

Reach by Facebook Posts.

• “FUN CAN CHANGE BEHAVIOR!” video post reached the most people this quarter (122 people).

• “I wanna dance for this crosswalk light!” came in second with a reach of 67

people. This suggests that our Facebook audience enjoys viewing videos and photos of creative sustainable ideas for infrastructure design. 2-1-1 One Call Transportation Service. This quarter 2-1-1 received 569 calls from individuals inquiring about transportation. The table on the next page demonstrates the top five ranking transportation calls received by 2-1-1.

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Rank Number of Calls in Q3,

2014 Type of Inquiry

1 417 Medical

Transportation

2 54 Disabled

Transportation

3 23 Public

Transportation

4 18 Transportation

Expense Assistance

5 12 Transportation

Assistance.

2. Employer Education Program Goals: reduce transportation as a barrier to employment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commuting to and from work

Summary Way2Go’s Employer Outreach Program made progress this quarter by leading projects, building relationships with partners, and finalizing employer outreach tools. This quarter Way2Go played a leadership role in supporting the development of a pilot Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program in partnership with the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, Ithaca Carshare, and TCAT. Emergency Ride Home Way2Go collaborated with the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, Downtown Ithaca Alliance, Ithaca Carshare and TCAT to develop a proposal for an Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH). Research shows that emergency ride home programs have potential to increase transit ridership while decreasing the number of drive alone commutes. ERH provides an the extra sense of security to a rider; that if and when there is an emergency, the rider can still have a way to get home during the day when the frequency of buses is lower. The proposal will be finalized and reviewed by Way2Go and DIA before sharing with the TCAT board of directors in late October. Preferred Parking for Carpoolers in Downtown Ithaca Preferred Parking for Carpoolers can increase potential ridesharing to the downtown sector. Way2Go Employer Outreach Coordinator is working with Frank Nagy, Parking Manager for the City of Ithaca to learn more about recent changes to parking in

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downtown Ithaca and Dryden parking facilities. Way2Go has proposed preferred parking for carpools as a way to offer an affordable parking choice to downtown employees. Way2Go will continue working with the City of Ithaca on developing a preferred parking program for carpools in Q4. Employer Transportation Assessment for Downtown Employers: Way2Go’s Employer Outreach Coordinator is worked with Fred Sheops, Business Retention Manager, and Gary Ferguson, Executive Director for Downtown Ithaca Alliance to customize the Employer Assessment Tools and outreach strategy to effectively engage a diverse group of downtown employers. In Q4, Way2Go will continue working with DIA to engage employees in the downtown employer cluster. Way2Go Employer Outreach Tools Way2Go is continuing to finalize outreach and needs assessment tools to be used in employer outreach. A program brochure, employer transportation assessment process and commuter survey are all in the final copy editing process before being completed.

Way2Go Employee Transportation Coordinator Way2Go’s employer outreach program will recruit and support Employee Transportation Coordinators at a select group of employers in Tompkins County. Employee Transportation Coordinators are responsible for facilitate action steps at their places of employment with the goal of increasing transportation access and encouraging employees to use sustainable transportation options. Way2Go’s Employer Outreach Coordinator is playing this role at Cooperative Extension. By implementing and piloting specific projects at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Way2Go is gaining hands-on experience that will be used to guide coordinators at different employer site locations. Cooperative Extension’s Transportation Coordinator worked on several projects including: Cooperative Extension Bikeshare Way2Go has been reestablished the Staff Bikeshare at Cornell Cooperative Extension through increased promotion and encouragement at staff meetings and signage in common use areas at Cooperative Extension. Staff bikeshare use increased from less than once a month before Q3 to almost twice a week in September,

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2014. More staff are using the bikes due to a clear bike use procedure, increased visibility and frequent reminders at staff meetings. CCE Bike Shelter Way2Go prepared a proposal for a bike shelter to be reviewed by CCE Executive Director and Facilities Committee in mid -October. Way2Go is leading this project to improve the experience of bike commuters by providing a safe and weather proof place to store bikes. See Appendix A: Bike Shelter Proposal for CCETC 3. Senior Transportation Education Goals: older adults fully utilize existing transportation services to maintain an active lifestyle and meet their basic needs. In addition, older adults drive only when it is a safe option for them Summary This quarter Way2Go’s Senior Transportation Education programming built relationships with Cayuga Medical Center, Longview, and Ithaca Gerontology Institute to support programming in Q4 and 2015. In addition, Way2Go’s program manager led a Carfit technician training and event in Utica as a part of the Way2Go in a Box program. Cayuga Medical Center Way2Go met with a team of Occupational Therapists at Cayuga Medical Center to discuss older adults and driving. Way2Go and Cayuga Medical Center are planning on leading a panel discussion on older adults driving for the Aging Services Network in Tompkins County in January. In addition, Way2Go and CMC will collaborate on Carfit events. Lastly, CMC and Way2Go discussed collaboration on future funding and education opportunities that support the needs of older drivers. Longview & Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Way2Go met with the development manager at the Longview Retirement Community to discuss transportation outreach to older adults at Longview. Way2Go and Longview are in the process of planning a focus group with Longview residents to gather feedback about transportation needs and, in particular, what messaging about transportation options resonates with this age group. Several focus groups will also be organized in Spring 2015 to gather additional feedback in rural senior communities. Way2Go is reaching out to the Ithaca Gerontology Institute for support in engaging Ithaca College students in supporting additional focus groups. 4. Travel Training Coordination Goals: travel training activities facilitate safe and successful independent travel of all target audiences. Paratransit resources in Tompkins County are used efficiently Summary

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The Tompkins County Coordinated Travel Training Project made gradual progress this quarter. Way2Go put together an outline of foundation funding sources and a small planning group of the travel training network prioritized key steps that will help support long term funding for travel training.

See Appendix B: Foundation Funding Sources for Travel Training 5. Transportation for School Success (K-12) Goals: transportation barriers to school activities for students and their families are removed. Students and their families adopt sustainable transportation options Summary Bus Pass and Ridesharing Initiatives in ICSD Schools The work of Way2Go and the School Success Transportation Coalition (SSTC) has expanded greatly as the 2014-15 school year gets underway. Our patiently cultivated relationships with Ithaca City School District (ICSD) administrators and other stakeholders have enabled us to launch two new initiatives this year to both meet immediate needs and to cultivate a culture of collective problem-solving around transportation. Our current ridesharing project, the latest iteration of several prior ridesharing efforts, involves working with school coaches, drama directors and other extra-curricular activity leaders to help them proactively support ridesharing among school families. With the help of Superintendent Dr. Brown, Athletic Director Danielle La Roche, Fine Arts Director David Brown and others, we have been distributing hundreds of Ridesharing Guides to school activity directors and parents. The Ridesharing Guide serves a triple function: 1) support for activity directors in designating a parent to serve as a volunteer Ridesharing Coordinator 2) a quick how-to for volunteer Ridesharing Coordinators 3) a sign-up form for parents and caregivers who might be interested in sharing rides. We have spread awareness of this initiative at meetings with both principals and parents. As a new initiative, we are still finding our way, but are already seeing evidence that it is working. School transportation liaisons have reported rides shared among families, and a volunteer parent ridesharing coordinator recently called Way2Go for support in using GeoBatching (rideshare mapping) to help match potential ridesharing families.

See Appendix C School Ridesharing Guide Way2Go and the SSTC have also taken on the continuation of the program ICSD piloted last year of providing TCAT bus passes to students to support their participation in extracurricular school activities. The distribution of hundreds of passes, most of which were used over 100 times by students, demonstrated a strong transportation need among students. However, all funds for the program were lost to ICSD budget cuts. In order to meet the continuing need, and build on the school communities growing

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engagement around transportation, the School Success Transportation Coalition felt the need to step in. We have engaged in a variety of strategies to raise funds for the program, from grant writing to meeting with PTAs and Booster Clubs, to working directly with TCAT. We are thrilled that TCAT is providing $2,000 worth of youth bus passes from their own community access fund. We have also raised $500 from school booster clubs, and have submitted four additional grant applications. We have improved systems for identifying students who are able to utilize TCAT service to participate in before- or after-school activities, and providing them a pass customized to their need. By becoming directly involved in both raising funds and shaping the bus pass program, we have the opportunity not only to affect this year's students, but to gather more data on the nature and scale of student need, ideal protocols and the impacts of such an intervention.

See Appendix D: Sample Grant Application School Transportation Liaisons Once again, we are starting the new year with designated School Transportation Liaisons in all 12 ICSD schools. We are fortunate also that all are returning liaisons. Liaison have already been active in sharing transportation information in their school communities, even prior to the fall liaison training/meeting, which will be held November 3rd. Liaisons are also poised to support our two initiatives above, and to help support the City of Ithaca’s Safe Routes to Schools project in the relevant schools. 6. Helping Professionals Program Goals: clients of human services make the best use of existing transportation resources and their unmet needs are addressed by transportation stakeholders Summary Helping professionals who serve individuals who face transportation barriers, or managers of such professionals, were invited to complete a Way2Go online survey regarding the transportation challenges they encounter among clients, and how they can best be supported with up-to-date transportation information. Responses were requested from specific agencies and individuals, and an open invitation was publicized via the Human Service Coalition list serve. Forty helping professionals responded to the survey to date. About half of participants are program coordinators, directors or managers, and over a third are outreach workers or case managers. Responses were gathered by one or more staff members from the following organizations:

Area Food Pantries AVRE Vision Rehab Challenge Workforce Solutions

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Cayuga Medical Center City of Ithaca Cornell University Finger Lakes Independence Center (FLIC) Human Services Coalition Ithaca City School District Ithaca Youth Bureau Office for the Aging (COFA) ReUse Center TCAT Tompkins Community Action Tompkins County Dept. of Social Services Women’s Opportunity Center

All but two respondents said that they or their staff “definitely” serve individuals who encounter transportation barriers. Seventeen respondents mentioned limited bus routes and hours, especially to rural areas, with three specifically mentioning distance between or to/from stops, and four, non-standard work hours. Sixteen respondents listed the cost of transportation, including the cost of the bus, gas, and car repairs, and the lack of available funding for transportation assistance. Difficulty with medical and out of county medical trips was mentioned multiple times. Disability issues and understanding ADA/Gadabout services also came up, as well as the high cost to the hospital to fund transportation for those discharged on too short notice to access Gadabout. Survey-takers were asked to note which of eight possible ways of receiving transportation information and support from Way2Go are useful, and to rank them. Online, printable information was the most popular, followed by emailed information and tips, and a desktop printed guide. Many respondents were also interested in trainings held where they work and printed pamphlets or information they can integrate into their own training. Interestingly, the least popular option was a centralized, open transportation training for helping professionals. Way2Go will continue to analyze the results to shape our upcoming efforts to keep helping professionals informed of current transportation resources. We will also be taking a closer look at additional feedback and results gathered by the survey.

See Appendix E: Helping Professionals Survey Excerpt 7. Faster & Farther Network Goal: Transportation stakeholders recognize common goals, cooperatively meet challenges, share and adopt best practices, and pursue transportation-service innovations Summary Faster & Farther Network of Transportation Professionals

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The Faster & Farther Network met July 29th, and welcomed new member Sue Powell of Cornell Transportation Services. Cornell is once again working on active transportation as part of TDM (Transportation Demand Management,) and Sue is pleased to reconnect with colleagues as she reactivates initiatives to support walking and biking on campus. Way2Go Program Manager Jonathan Maddison, Intern Shawn Fries, and Ithaca Carshare’s Jennifer Dotson launched a fun, eye-opening and lively discussion on transportation apps: interactive, downloadable programs for mobile devices, as well as interactive websites. They shared data on the massive rise in access and use of communication and internet technology, which is also reflected in Ithaca Carshare membership’s shifting means of making reservations. F&F explored the current explosion of transportation apps in six different categories. Engaging in a hands-on, real time trial of a few apps, the group considered what kinds of apps might be most useful in meeting our local transportation goals and vision. In addition, the F&F list has been used to share announcements from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the City’s Safe Routes to School project, Ithaca Carshare, Streets Alive!, Bike sharing, TCAT’s public input initiative, transportation-related webinars and articles, and more.

See Appendix F F&F Notes & News We saw the continuation of TCAT’s increasing interaction with the F&F Network with the planning of the September F&F meeting, (which was then postponed to October 7th to maximize participation.) Way2Go will be partnering with TCAT to host the September/October meeting and engage F&F in an interactive exercise gathering feedback on minimum TCAT service levels and priorities. 8. Way2Go in a Box/Regional Mobility Manager Outreach Goals: coordinated transportation education and marketing across counties in upstate NY reduces regional transportation needs Summary Way2Go and Parkway Center in Utica, NY launched Way2Go in Herkimer and Oneida Counties. In Q3 Way2Go led two trainings for Parkway’s lead staff providing an overview of Way2Go’s programs and materials and training staff in Oneida to implement AARP’s Carfit program. Way2Go also met with a staff person Chemung County’s Cooperative Extension to discuss the potential of extending Way2Go’s program materials to Chemung County, made possibly through the work with Utica on Way2Go in a Box. The extension of Way2Go to Utica is the result of nearly 6 months of work and communication and is a step towards a regional transportation education strategy. This project builds Way2Go’s capacity to share its resources. Additionally, coordination between Way2Go programs allows programs and strategies to be shared

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between Way2Go programs which has potential to significantly reduce the cost of program development for mobility education programs across New York State. 9. Community Events & Festival Outreach Goals: participants at events and festivals make better use of existing transportation options and increase their use of sustainable transportation options. The unmet needs of participants informs transportation planning and development Summary Latino Multicultural Festival Way2Go was present at the event both as part of the “Walk against violence” and in celebration of Latino Multicultural Fest and the Food Justice Fair. The event brought various local organizations together to celebrate Latino roots and the local Greenstar food Justice efforts. Way2Go tabled alongside Cultura and offered a Spanish translated version of Way2Go brochure and medical transportation options at that booth and that of 211. Several Spanish speaking event goers found the information helpful. Local organizations that reach out to Spanish speakers in our community asked Way2Go to drop off the materials at their offices: Such organizations as The Catholic Charities, The Workers Center, Latino Civic Association, Cultura, No mas Lagrimas, English As A Second Language, GIAC, 211 offered to provide Way2Go transportation information in Spanish to their Spanish speaking clients. Norma Gutierrez had the opportunity to meet with various community leaders including Tommy Miller, Director of Family Empowerment Services to discuss food justice in connection to the lack of access to transportation options. Park(ing) Day Way2Go participated in the 2014 Park(ing) Day contest organized by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance on September 26th. Way2Go hosted an activity to bring awareness community design and encouraged people to think about how Ithaca’s streets are designed. The child friendly activity attracted adults to join in fun activities like hoola hooping, chalking, hopscotch, reading and talking about biking, walking and ridesharing. Congo Square Market Way2Go promoted this fall’s Streets Alive! Southside and provided transportation information by participating in three Congo Square Market gatherings, held at the Southside Community. Congo Square Market is a celebration of community, local, healthy food and the arts held outdoors at Southside Community Center throughout the summer. Way2Go wore Streets Alive! t-shirts, answered questions, recruited volunteers and made connections with a food vendor and a DJ who joined the Streets Alive crew.

10. Sustainable Transportation Education

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Goals: program audiences forgo automobile trips with sustainable transportation options Summary Way2Go created and hired a full time Sustainable Transportation Educator, Sarah Libertore. Sarah started on September 29, 2014 and will lead efforts to increase access to sustainable transportation options in Tompkins County. Way2Go co-directed September 2014’s Streets Alive festival alongside Bike Walk Tompkins, a newly established bike and walk advocacy organization. Way2Go supported the director of Bike Walk Tompkins in learning how to organize the event while providing leadership to the event’s organizing committee. On September 7, an estimated 2,000 Ithaca residents participated in Streets Alive from 1-5pm. The September event took place in the Southside neighborhood, one of Ithaca’s most diverse neighborhoods. Way2Go coordinated closely with the Southside Community Center and other community members in planning the September event. Way2Go worked with the Streets Alive steering committee to continue and build new partnerships with over a dozen agencies. The event included a mobile bike repair, a bike rodeo for children, free bike rentals by Big Red Bikes, Cornell’s student led Bike share organization, and many other activities. Way2Go provided leadership to ensure that Streets Alive reflected the Southside neighborhood. For example, Way2Go built a partnership with long time organizers in the Southside Community to coordinate Streets Alive alongside Ithaca CultureFest. Ithaca CultureFest is organized by long time organizers from the Southside and also includes youth and health oriented activities. Lastly, Way2Go maintained an online and social media presence for Streets Alive! Metrics

Estimated attendance of 2,500

4,136 webpage views

Over 100 volunteers supported the event

Participant surveys found that over 50% of participants rated their Streets Alive experience 5 out of 5

Reached over 20,000 Tompkins County residents on Streets Alive’s Facebook

3331,397

2,406

Jul Aug Sep

Streetsaliveithaca.com Webpage Views in 2014

Way2Go's Program Manager with Olivia Armstrong, Co-organizer of Ithaca Culture Fest at Congo Square Market

The Dedicated Organizing Team of Streets Alive

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page in Q3 by utilizing paid Facebook ads. See Appendix G: Streets Alive! Participant and

Volunteer Survey Statistics

11. Way2Go in the Media Way2Go maintained a presence in local news outlets through regular publication of articles promoting the use of transportation alternatives and transportation-related events. Ithaca Journal has over 29,000 paid subscribers which Way2Go was able to reach with three publications:

Way2Go was also featured in a podcast for the National Partnership for Mobility Management. The podcast featured a project led by Way2Go, with support from Ithaca Carshare, to categorize and research Transportation Apps. Way2Go gained attention from the Partnership for Mobility Management by sharing the project through LinkedIn. The project was also presented to Way2Go led Faster & Farther Network.

12. Summary of Events Way2Go hosts a number of workshop and informational events each month, and this is one of our most measurable and direct forms of spreading education throughout the community. During this quarter Way2Go provided direct education through the following events.

Title Publication Date

Ithaca Bikeshare Planning Tompkins Weekly July

Streets Alive Press Release

Ithaca Journal, Ithaca Voice, Tompkins Weekly

August

Streets Alive Radio Interview, Sophie Somerfeldt, Vikki Armstrong, and Marshall McCormick

WRFI September

Strolling along the City Streets

Ithaca Journal September

Streets Alive! Front Page Caption

Tompkins Weekly September

Ithaca’s Streets Alive! again proves itself as a ‘great way to build community’

Ithaca Voice September

Catalog of Transportation Apps

National Partnership for mobility Management

September

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Month of Event Event Title Target Audience Number of Participants

August Latino Multicultural Festival Outreach

Hispanic community in Ithaca 48

August Congo Square Market Outreach (Three times in August)

People of Color/General community

46

August Rideshare Outreach to ICSD Activity Leaders

Activity Coordinators 25

August Way2Go Presentation to CCE Environment Committee

Cooperative Extension Board of Directors

6

September Streets Alive The Ithaca Community 2,500

September Park(ing) day event Ithaca Community, youth 15

September Presentation to Legislators (PEEQ committee)

Presentation to Tompkins County Legislators

8

September Carfit Event, Utica Professionals and Older Drivers 16

TOTAL for Q3

2664 Participants