MARCH 2017 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 31 Indianapolis, Ind. HIS PAST NOVEMBER, 60 PERCENT of Indianapolis voters approved a measure for a 0.25 percent county option income tax dedicated to improving transit service. Th is is the fi rst-ever dedicated local transit funding in the city, and we learned a lot during the education campaign: primarily the necessity of consistency in message, clarity and trust of partner organizations. All partners around the table must agree on a clear messaging strategy — what are the talking points, who are the best messengers from the team to individual organizations, stakeholders and elected offi cials? Our communications strategy was to focus on 1) Th e value of transit as an integral investment for a vibrant and equitable city and 2) Th e concise and digestible tenets of specifi c transit improvements the tax will bring. Always begin the roll out earlier than you think is necessary and be prepared to put in the hours. With so many hardworking partners, we covered 650 public events in 2016 alone. We were able to deliver a signifi cant media, stakeholder and grassroots education campaign targeted primarily throughout August through November; but more time and organization pre-launch is always a desire. We made ourselves available, and if someone had the free hour and we showed up, we showed up to speak, to table, to answer questions, to represent the Transit Plan. Be aware of existing community energy and tap in to it to engage the public. For the past few years, Indy has been continually energized by the unifi ed cause to make our city better. For us, it wasn’t about getting people to ride the bus, or even to support the measure because they ride; it was bigger than that. By charging forward with a call to support transit because it will make our community better, non-transit riders and even those who had rarely considered its role within our city became champions of the cause. Partner organizations and stakeholder groups who want to join the battle cry should tailor the message, as they know their audiences best. But it is essential to train them on the talking points — the numbers, service hour increases, facts about rapid transit, etc. — and also on how to answer questions they don’t know by yielding to agency representatives. It is vital to be transparent. Educating inherently means addressing the downsides to an increased tax and system expansion. Read the full responses at Masstransitmag.com/12301452 T Lauren Day Marketing and Communications Manager Indianapolis Public Transportation Corp. (IndyGo) For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10064948 For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/12078201
MassTransit_March_2017
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