THE CHALLENGE: Keep the public on board with a regional transit authority through a decade of changes, including voter referendums, system expansions, leadership changes, and the launch/expansion of a light rail system.
THE WORK: We never took our eyes off the road, so we knew the twists coming up and which turns to take. During the economic downturn we positioned Sound Transit buses as a money-saver to help ride out tough times. As the economy improved, we refocused on the idea of the freedom gained by commuting with ease. When Seattle’s traffic got out of hand, we showed how handy Sound Transit could be in fighting stress. And when ridership was maxed out, we creatively demonstrated appreciation for riders while simultaneously reinforcing the benefits of commuting on public transit to potential future riders.
THE RESULTS: For 10 years, regardless of the economy, the strategies we developed and deployed, along with the campaigns we conceived and produced, played an instrumental role in year-over-year ridership growth of between 10 and 20 percent annually.