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Modal Shift to Transit Study - Summary Report - Canadian Urban Transit Association
Click HERE for graphic. CUTA ACTU CANADIAN URBAN TRANSIT ASSOCIATION MODAL SHIFT TO TRANSIT STUDY SUMMARY REPORT July 1992 By: - UMA Engineering Ltd. - Tranplan Associates - Environics Research Group Limited - Synergistics Consulting Limited - Price Waterhouse Aussi disponible enfrancais 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - THE TRANSIT MODAL SHIFT STUDY Canadian transit systems share the public concern with environmental issues and the increasing traffic congestion in Canada's urban centres. They already play a significant role in resolving these issues, but believe that transit can significantly increase its contribution to the improvement of urban life. For these reasons, they decided to undertake a project aimed at identifying the short and long term strategies required by all levels of government to improve the market share of public transit in urban centres. The study was undertaken on behalf of the transit operators by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) to which virtually all transit systems belong. The object of this study is to examine the Canadian urban transportation market more closely, in order to determine what improvements to public transit service, land use patterns and other factors, together with the support of governments, business and individuals, would be most likely to improve transits modal share. The resulting strategies will form the basis for the transit industry's 10 year action plan. By this process CUTA and its member transit systems will have a way to face the challenges ahead, including specific goals and objectives to meet, which will enable them to influence other organizations to take important roles in the growth of transit. 1.1 THE ROLE OF TRANSIT Public transit in Canada is an essential component of our urban transportation system. Transit plays an important role in serving peak period travel demands associated with travel to work and school also provides basic mobility for those persons who do not have an alternative, including transit dependent students, lower income workers, seniors and other persons who cannot afford or choose not to own an automobile. While many commuters choose to use transit for peak period trips downtown, the transit dependent population accounts for the majority of off peak transit use in Canadian urban areas. - 2 - 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF MODAL SHIFT The overall environmental benefits of an increased modal shift to transit cover a wide range including: - reduced C02 and ground ozone emissions (Exhibit 1); reduced auto congestion; - a slow-down in urban sprawl and consumption of arable land; - energy conservation; and - reduction in land servicing costs. Some of these factors are not readily quantifiable, and all will vary by community type and size. Benefits, however, can be recognized Canada wide, by Province, and more noticeably in the urban environment. For example, a street fire of auto congestion in the downtown of a large urban centre would improve the local air quality many fold and be easily noticed by people on the street. 1.3 WHY THE STUDY IS NEEDED The Environment And Transit Concerns about the environmental effects of automobile use are reaching unprecedented levels, and governments around the world are giving attention to this problem as never before,. Our whole way of life is adversely affected by dependence on the automobile as a primary mode of transportation in urban areas. Automobiles are an increasingly large source of air pollution, a fact Canadians are concerned about (Exhibit 2). They also consume a much greater amount of energy per person moved than other modes, they demand much more infrastructure support than other modes, and they contribute to urban sprawl which in turn leads to serious reductions in arable land (see The Environmental Benefits of Urban Transit, CUTA, 1990). The urban forms that develop to serve the automobile are in most cases at the same time hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists. This fact, combined with the common problem of urban traffic congestion reduces the mobility of some groups of the population. Click HERE for graphic. Click HERE for graphic. - 3 - In cities elsewhere, in which automobile congestion and resulting emissions have already reached unacceptable levels, measures to restrict auto access to the builtup areas have been in use for some time. For example, since 1975 Singapore has charged a fee for every vehicle entering the city centre, with the exception of buses, commercial trucks and cars carrying four or more people. In Tokyo, where vehicle registration fees are in the order of $1000 per year, one cannot even purchase a car without proof of a paid long-term parking space. In other locations, such as Mexico City, the ground-level pollution effects of cars are so severe that outright automobile prohibition is now being actively considered. These extreme measures are now gaining acceptance in European cities as well, as the general environmental awareness of the public is forcing governments to take actions to reduce pollution from autos. For example, an increasing number of countries have or are considering a carbon tax on auto fuel use to attack production of pollution directly. In a similar vein, the German government links annual vehicle registration fees to the levels of pollution emission. Such measures may well become necessary in many Canadian cities if prompt action is not taken by all levels of government to promote voluntary alternatives (such as transit) to the single occupant automobile, particularly for peak period commuting. The Canadian federal government is participating strongly in the environmental protection movement. The recent announcement of "Canada's Green Plan for a Healthy Environment" contains a goal for Canada-wide reduction of "the concentration of ground level ozone (smog) below the threshold of health effects in the most susceptible segments of the population". Although the federal statement did mention transit, it unfortunately did not emphasize the true potential role for transit in achieving much greater environmental and social benefits. Provincial governments in turn are promoting the need for pro- environmental goals. A recent joint study by the Ontario Ministries of the Environment, Energy and Transportation examined ways of reducing C02 emissions by up to 20%. Another example is the Province of Ontario's recently introduced tax on new vehicle purchases, incorporating a sliding scale based on the vehicle's fuel consumption rate. - 4 - At the municipal level, public resistance to further road building in built-up areas is getting support from government In the Mon@ metropolitan area for instance, no expressway extensions were built between 1977 and 1991, as the government considered the road network to be satisfactory and favoured investment in public transit instead. The Lets Move Rapid Transit Program for the Greater Toronto Area is another example. The City of Toronto's Healthy City Office is investigating various "traffic-calming" policies to reduce the significance on automobile traffic. A number of municipalities across Canada have implemented bus priority lanes, and other auto restrictive measures. Nevertheless auto traffic continues to increase every year and significant traffic congestion results, especially in the suburban areas. Changing Trends Affecting Transit Socio-Demographic Trends The recent CUTA report Demographic and Socioeconomic Trends: Implications for Urban Transit in Canada (Phase II Final Report, September 1991) identified a number of trends in Canadian society which are likely to affect transit use in the future. Relevant trends include the aging of the dominant baby-boom generation and related increases in affluence and expectations, increased female labour force participation, shifts in occupation from clerical and factory work, and decentralization of population and employment. In summary, the CUTA Demographic and Socioeconomic Trends Study suggests that while increased employment among women and concerns about the environment are supportive of increased transit ridership (at least in the short term), the other social trends identified will tend to reduce transit s share of urban travel. If transit systems do not respond to the changing needs of urban travel markets, ridership and modal share will be lost. - 5 - Technological Trends The auto industry is responding to the increasing regulations for environmental protection by producing more fuel-efficient and pollution-reduced vehicles. This trend is mainly in response to the tough emissions standards set in the State of California, but public interest in fuel economy also supports such work. Although the best auto still does not compete even closely with a loaded bus in terms of energy use or emissions per passenger, the personal comfort and level of service associated with private auto use is often an overriding factor in the public's choice of a mode of transport. Despite the improvements in automobile technology, total emissions by autos have continued to rise in Canada due to increasing auto use. The advent of electric cars on a wide scale is not likely in the foreseeable future. If they do become available, they will simply shift the environmental problem to energy production and its associated environmental impacts. Funding Trends Overall, publicly funded transportation modes are going to have to do more with less money, suggesting that new means of financing capital and operational expenses will be needed. With favourable government support however, transit may gain the means to improve service and become more competitive with the auto in cities. The Need to Do Things Differently Transit Must Be Pro-active All the evidence available indicates that if nothing is done to assist transit, ridership and transit modal share will decline, to the detriment of the urban society in general. In order to change this trend, the transit industry must act now to retain current ridership and also make gains in certain market segments with existing high automobile use. - 6 - Transit Cannot Do the Job Alone It is clear that the task of retaining current riders and gaining market share in market segments in which transit is poorly represented cannot be addressed adequately at the local municipal level alone. If it could, the problem would not exist The problems facing transit in markets such as suburb to suburb commuters involve issues such as land use planning, parking policy and tax legislation which span all levels of government, all of which are, beyond the realm of transit systems. What is needed is a cooperative effort among a number of public and private interest groups (depending on the particular market segment being addressed) focussed on increasing transit's share of the transportation market. Potential Benefits Go Far Beyond The Transit Industry Why should other organizations get involved in supporting transit use? There are many reasons, depending on the organization in question. For the general public, increased transit use means reduced pollution and traffic congestion. It also means more efficient use of tax dollars, as spending on transit services produces greater returns for the community, and more service per dollar than spending on roads in general can attain. For business, this means a more efficient society, as the dependency on energy and material intensive private auto use is reduced in favour of transit. For developers, increased use of transit means better land utilization as less space is required for parking lots, and increased density developments can be supported by the more efficient mode of moving people in and out of the site. For local governments, traffic congestion can be greatly reduced by increased use of transit, with the valuable side-effect of reduced maintenance and capital costs of supporting the growing auto mode. In addition, the increased density development made possible by transit is more efficient for utilities to service, and leaves more room for green space, reducing the problem of urban sprawl. - 7 - For provincial and federal governments, increased transit use will reduce the need to borrow for public sector investments, while contributing to important environmental and social objectives. 1.4 THE STUDY PROCESS A five sector classification for Canadian Transit systems was developed as follows: - Large Metropolitan Centres (LMC) - can support large scale rapid transit - heavily urbanized - Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver - Metropolitan Suburbs (MS) - 50,000 to 400,000 population - heavy travel orientation to nearby centres (LMC) - major growth in population and employment - e.g. Mississauga, Uval, Burnaby - Major Independent Regional Cities (MIRC) - 400,000 to 700,000 population - independent, generally strong CBD, major industries, diversified employment - e.g. Calgary, Hamilton, Ottawa, Quebec - Smaller Regional Centres (SRC) - 150,000 to 400,000 population - e.g. London, Halifax, Regina - Other Small Centres (OSC) - less than 150,000 population - often focused on a few major employers/activities - e.g., St. Catharines, Guelph, Sherbrooke CUTA Modal Shift to Transit EXHIBIT 3: CURRENT TRANSIT MARKET SHARE PROFILE OF EMPLOYED PERSONS BY LOCATION AND COMMUNITY TYPE (% HOME TO -WORK TRIPS BY TRANSIT) Large Major Smaller Other Location Metropolitan Metropolitan Independent Regional Small Suburbs Regional Live/Work Centres Centres Centres Centres __________________________________________________________________ Inner City/CBD 65-75 - - - - Suburban/ CBD 60-70 40-70 40-65 20-25 5-10 Suburban/ Inner City 30-50 15-50 - - - Suburban/ Suburban 20-30 5-20 - - - Centres Suburban/ Suburban 15-20 5-10 5-10 1-5 0-1 - 8 - Using data from CUTA's Demographic and Socio-economic study, (e.g. see Exhibit 3) key transit markets were identified for each of the transit system classifications. The markets were selected because they either offered the potential for ridership growth or existing trends indicated that they were vulnerable to market loss. An example would be female employed persons who in many instances are leaving transit because of increased earning power and thus increased car ownerships. Following this market segmentation analysis two basic strategic directions for transit were determined: - Respond to Socio-demographic Trends; and - Pursue an Aggressive Improvement of Transit Modal Share in Specific Market Areas (Modal Shift Targets). The Key Sub-markets, Priorities and Strategies Response to Socio-Demographic Trends Priority Key Sub-market 1 Female employed persons 25-64 years old in large and medium urban scales 2 All employed persons 15-24 years old in all urban scales 3 Secondary and Post-secondary students in all urban scales 4 Seniors and Others - 9 - Areas for Modal Share Improvement (Targets) Priority Key Sub-market 1 Employed persons Suburb to Suburb trips in large and medium urban scales 2 Employed persons Suburb to CBD and Suburb to Inner City trips in large and medium urban scales 3 Employed persons Suburb to CBD trips in small urban scales 4 Employed persons Suburb to Suburban Centres trips in large urban scales The study also compiled a comprehensive list of initiatives which either quantitative or qualitative evidence suggests are capable of influencing a mode shift to ]V Each initiative was classified as to its applicability to the transit system classifications and the key market segments. While generalized conclusions could thus be drawn that a particular strategy would encourage a modal shift to transit for a particular key market in certain transit system categories the study is organized to allow individual transit systems to develop a program targeted to their own key markets. Click HERE for graphic. - 10 - 2.0 THE IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF THE MODAL SHIFT STRATEGIES 2.1 COMMUNITY TYPE It is recognized that the problems and needs of transit systems vary with the size of the community. Although the larger centres have more potential to lose market share, and a larger array of initiatives with which to improve the performance of transit, there are still strategies smaller centres can consider for increasing transits market share. The public support for increasing the role of transit is illustrated in Exhibit 4 which shows support for additional funding for transit. 2.2 TAXATION EQUITY AND MODAL SHIFT Currently, there is an inequity in the Canadian taxation system that favours auto use rather than transit. In particular, employees are taxed if they are provided with free transit fares while free parking is provided with no tax implication for the employee. Steps need to be taken to address this existing inequity. Such a change could be made without changes to the Income, Tax Act, and it avoids the dedication of funds problem as the passes would be purchased directly form the transit system. There is already a paragraph in the Revenue Canada interpretation bulletin dealing with shuttle busses provided by employers so the jump to nontaxable public transit may not be a large one. The potential for using user taxation as a stimulus to increase transit usage is significant and must also be addressed. Taxation measures can also be used to direct urban development to be more transit supportive (e.g., density tax credits). 2.3 THE ROLES OF TRANSIT AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Since the key sub-markets identified are all different, and for any particular community the package of initiatives selected will be unique, implementation needs of the strategies will vary. A different level of involvement will be required for each strategy, drawing resources from a wide variety of - 11 - governmental, business and institutional organizations. Exhibit 5 illustrates the relative level of involvement needed from the main organizations with a role to play in the success of public transit. The key to successful execution of these strategies will be in the gathering of support for the initiatives from these diverse groups. Transit must be the catalyst for all these measures, but it need not, and cannot be the main player in every case. Certain initiatives in the Operations category or the Transit User Environment category will necessarily make the transit system the prime mover. Other options such as those in the Land Use and Transit Supportive Measures categories are definitely out of the control of transit systems. For this reason, lobbying for support from the identified organizations will be critical for the realization of modal shift goals. Part of the lobbying effort will involve marketing of concepts to the public, who in turn can apply great pressure to the critical organizations when properly motivated. Focusing on the solution of problems that the public perceives, and indicating the organizations that must act to correct the problem are important elements. Click HERE for graphic. - 12 - 3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS There is a pressing need to achieve a modal shift to transit in support of energy efficiency, congestion reduction and environmental objectives. However, increasing the transit modal share of urban travel is a challenging task. But transit can face these challenges and succeed. It has done it before. This time it is strongly supported by environmental concerns. Transit can be part of the solution. It can develop strategic alliances with the automobile industry, other organizations and governments to achieve environmental and modal shift objectives. The public opinion survey indicates that most people support the use of transit to reduce pollution in cities. Most are also supportive of more public funding going to transit. However, the transit industry is being asked to do more with less, as are all transportation systems dependent on public funding. Inaction is not an option. The current trends will continue to create transits modal share if nothing is done. The apparent dichotomy between public support for environmentally friendly transportation and the observed choice of the majority for auto use makes it clear that the public are looking to make a more environmentally friendly choice but are in need of direction and incentive. 3.1 CONCLUSIONS FUTURE ROLE OF TRANSIT The market segmentation and evaluation has indicated a priority to strengthen transits role in serving home to work and home to education nips while retaining the seniors market In addition, transit also has a role to play in the secondary trips of these markets (e.g. work to shops or entertainment). This first conclusion points to transits role as increasing in the peak periods to reduce congestion and pollution and possibly affecting a family's choice not to become a multi-car family. - 13 - The study does not highlight an all encompassing role for transit. There is clearly a recognition that other modes will continue to play important roles in the more diverse trip making requirements of people. For example, cycling, walking, car and van pooling have important roles to play in an overall long-term strategy for transportation. IMPLEMENTATION PROSPECTS OF KEY SUB-MARKET STRATEGIES 1. Transit must act now to respond to the socio-demographic trends affecting transits market share and must achieve success in a relatively short time 2. Transit must also act now to establish an ongoing program to achieve the modal shift targets within 10 years by transferring success from other cities and so raise transits share in low @sit share markets. 3. Transit needs the resources to meet these modal share challenges. Governments must support transit with continued funding and favourable taxation measures. 4. Transit needs to do things differently. It must be proactive. It must recognize that transit alone cannot do the job. It needs to work closely with and influence other groups such as governments and agencies, community groups, the private sector and individuals. 5. Transit must take advantage of the opportunities that influence modal share such as support for the environment and reduction of urban traffic congestion. 6. Transit must also communicate effectively with clients, the public and decision makers, and demonstrate transits importance to the larger community. - 14 - 3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS There is a need for the whole community to become involved in successfully implementing a modal shift strategy. The recommendations are a series of messages aimed at groups and organizations with a variety or roles to play in the support of urban transit in Canada. Underlying all these recommendations is the concept of teamwork and cooperation necessary among these groups to maximize the benefits to transit, thereby maximizing the environmental, economic and social benefits transit can convey to society. CUTA 1. Develop a plan of action to follow the work done in this study as soon as possible. 2. Take a leadership role at the beginning to ensure that a coordinated effort is in place and designed for success. 3. Communicate the results of this study to governments, agencies, transit systems and other groups. The accompanying communications strategy could be the appropriate framework to provide the messages and stimulate action. 4. Develop a cooperative strategy to broaden the base of support for transit. Build coalitions with interest groups. Get business and employers on board with specific incentives towards favouring transit. 5. Influence governments to remove impediments to transit and introduce taxation measures to support a transit modal shift. 6. Influence planners and developers to encourage land use decisions which will create an urban structure supportive of transit. Influence transportation planners and engineers to design road and parking facilities which are both transit- friendly and safe. 7. Encourage and support transit systems to develop specific strategies to respond to the identified key sub-markets in both strategic directions. - 15 - 8. Transit workers need to be given an opportunity to contribute efforts by transit systems to expand transits modal share. 9. Encourage transit systems to share transit marketing information. 10. Act as a coordinator for improving the quality and value of the modal shift options. 11. Seek out new funding incentives to support the efforts required to meet the modal shift challenges. 12. Develop with supportive and interested groups a transit vision for urban Canada. TRANSIT SYSTEMS 1. Transfer the relevance of the eight key sub-market strategies to your own community and carry out appropriate planning to identify the most relevant initiatives and develop appropriate customized transit strategies. 2. Monitor the status of the key sub-markets in the local community on an ongoing basis, enabling you to continually adapt to changes in the transportation market. 3. Develop at the community and political level the broad cooperation and transit support from all sources to achieve consensus on an action plan to improve transit modal share. 4. Get involved in the land use planning process and influence the outcome in favour of transit. Apply transit and land use guidelines. 5. Keep in contact with the customer, respond to expressed needs. Operate as an open public organization. Encourage transit workers at all levels to use transit whenever possible to maintain a high public profile, and to increase their awareness of the service from a customer's point of view_ - 16 - 6. Improve and share the documentation of modal shift options through experience and research. ALL GOVERNMENT LEVELS 1. All government levels are encouraged to support CUTA in order to continue and strengthen the commitment to achieve the short and long term objectives set in this study. 2. Help to shape and share a common long term transit vision for Canadian cities. 3. Review public investments in urban transportation with the intent of providing transit the investment balance it requires to meet these challenges. 4. Consider innovative funding mechanisms for transit support, especially taxation measures that contribute to higher transit modal shares. 5. Make appropriate changes to legislation to remove obstacles to widespread transit use. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Working with CUTA, the Federal Government is encouraged to: 1. Make appropriate changes to the income tax interpretation bulletin on employee fringe benefits to make employer- subsidized transit a tax-free benefit, as free parking is now. 2. Review taxation measures which favour transit modal share increase. - 17 - 3. Support transits increasing role in pollution reduction in urban areas, and its contribution to economic development. 4. Contribute ideas and resources in developing a transit vision for urban Canada. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT Working with local transit systems: 1. Support transit financially to successfully meet the challenges presented by the trends and the modal share targets for improvement 2. Examine taxation measures shown in Exhibit 5.7, especially those which induce a higher transit modal share. 3. Encourage land use to be more supportive of transit and reduced travel demand. 4. Review short term allocation of resources for all transportation modes in urban areas with a view to provide greater support for transit. 5. Encourage integration of transit services with other modes. 6. Contribute to the development of a transit vision for urban Canada. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT Working with local transit systems: 1. Provide leadership to the community and to the transit systems to create a transit culture within which transit modal share increases can be achieved. 2. Provide adequate funding support and long term commitment to meet the effects of the trends and the opportunities to increase transit modal share. - 18 - 3. Encourage through Official Plans and other measures development that supports transit. 4. Support Federal and provincial governments in an examination of those taxation measures which could increase transit modal share. 5. Contribute to and share in the development of a transit vision for urban Canada. PRIVATE SECTOR Working with government and transit officials: 1. Offer transit incentives to employees in lieu of free parking facilities. 2. Enter agreements with local transit provider for special services of interest to your company and employees. 3. Make flexible work schedules available whenever possible to permit employees more flexibility in their travel arrangements. 4. Developers should fully integrate developments with transit service and share in the funding of the service. OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS AND AGENCIES Groups including environmental, health, education and other nongovernmental organizations are encouraged to form coalitions to: 1. Maintain a dialogue with the transit system to voice opinions and concerns, respond to changes. 2. Develop supportive positions in transit issues. 3. Consider transit as part of the solution for reducing pollution, health risks and traffic congestion in cities. - 19 - INDIVIDUALS Take a personal role in considering modal choice and: 1. Investigate transit services offered in your area. Contact the transit System and make your thoughts known. 2. Make an effort to use transit more frequently.Communicate your difficulties, if any, to the transit system. 3. Encourage your employers to provide transit passes or introduce other incentives for using transit. 4. Compare the annual cost of driving your car to work with the annual cost of taking transit. Is it really worth the extra expense? 5. Consider the savings to the environment gained by using transit for some of your transportation needs. 6. Share your concerns about the environment with your friends and neighbours. 3.3 A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY Recognizing the importance of getting the findings of the Modal Shift to Transit Study into circulation among opinion-leaders and decision-makers, an important component of the study involved developing a communication plan that will help further the goal of solidifying and expanding the transit constituency across Canada. This communications plan is contained in a companion report from Synergistics Consulting Limited, but is summarized here. - 20 - Goal The communications plan outlines the manner in which the Canadian transit industry can best communicate its readiness, its needs and its vision for playing a larger role in contributing to the resolution of atmospheric and energy challenges, as well as to the overall health of the urban environment. Strategy To fully capitalize on the findings of the Modal Shift to Transit Study and on the receptive public environment, this plan suggests four strategic areas in which the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) should direct its communications efforts. 1. To communicate the major findings of the study to key decision-maker and influencer audiences. 2. To mobilize its members to address the factors contributing to the declining marketing and communications. 3. To outline the precise role transit could play in contributing to air quality and energy objectives, and its requirements for doing so. 4. To increase transit's profile in on-going policy consultations and initiatives to help ensure transit's full potential is recognized and can be realized. The Public Environment The communications plan is based on the results of public opinion research (including that conducted by Environics for this project) and a limited number of stakeholder interviews. Some of the key findings of this research that have particularly shaped the communications plan include: - The continuing strength of environmental (especially atmospheric) concerns and transit's favourable image as environmentally-friendly, mean that the environment is transit's major "sell" today. - 21 - - There are other important issues that are perceptually linked in the public's mind to transit, some of which may be more important selling features than environment in the future, including: human health, energy, urban congestion and land use, personal freedom and mobility, and social equity. - Traditional institutions, such as transit, are generally suspect, requiring the use of other partners and spokes-people who are more credible in delivering key transit messages - (especially environmental messages). Therefore partnerships and coalitions with other environmental stakeholders will be key to success. - The automobile is being increasingly targeted by environmentally conscious citizens, which can only have positive implications for However, Canadians have high expectations of technological improvements to the automobile. Hence while an anti-car message is not appropriate, a message to use the car more selectively would be more successful. - The transit industry is perceived as "old school" by key audiences, not exhibiting contemporary values and approaches. This will undermine attempts to link with other partners and stakeholders, and will need to be compensated for, through stakeholder relations training of front-line staff. - There is clear support amongst the public for greater resources being applied to transit, although Canadians want to see highway funds reallocated to transit rather than new money being applied. Strategic Elements The plan outlines both consultation and communications initiatives that the entire transit community in Canada can undertake to address the communications objectives. In doing so, the plan is sensitive to the generally reactive role transit has historically played in the public policy arena, while arguing that a more pro- active approach is now required and justified to achieve transit's full potential. These elements include: - 22 - - Vision Document. An illustrated booklet giving transit's vision of its role in achieving key societal goals (environmental protection, healthy cities, energy conservation, mobility, social equity) and outlining tangible examples of approaches and initiatives that would help transit achieve these objectives. - Coalition Building. Actively consulting with new environmental and health stakeholders, influencing up-coming government communications initiatives, and seeking to join and support existing coalitions (on environment/health/energy issues) to broaden the transit constituency. - Marketing Initiatives. Mobilizing the attention and the exchange of marketing approaches and successes among member transit systems to better address the socio-demographic factors contributing to transits declining market share in many markets. - Public Communications. Depending on budget availability, mount a public communications initiative, including pro-active media relations, and the mounting of a more comprehensive schools initiative. - Skills Development. The development of a network of front- line community relations and communications personnel in member transit systems w ho would be responsible for implementing this combined plan, and offering training and other professional development opportunities (including peer exchange) in consultation skills, stakeholder relations, and media spokes-person training.
