HSTP Region 8 Meeting September 12 th , 2019 Kristen Gisondi, HSTP Coordinator Champaign County Regional Planning Commission HRC of Edgar and Clark, Marshall, Ill.
Marketing Plans • Rural transit agencies serve challenging market • High need, low population density • Costly to provide service • Demand-response, less fixed-route • Older population on average • Difficult for some users to go alone • Articulating and measuring benefits and gains can bring partners to the table • Service contracts
Marketing Plans • Low-cost methods • How are transit agencies marketing themselves? • Emails • Newsletters • ETA’s 2016 transit agency • Website survey: • Social media (including small ads) • 8% use radio • Posters/brochures at businesses, • 7% use billboards top destinations • 6% of agencies use print • Attending community events advertising • High-cost methods • 6% of agencies use social media • Newspaper • 4% use television • Radio • 1% of agencies use • Direct mailing vehicle/station signage
Marketing Plans • Low-cost marketing • Have current staff develop own designs • Use free resources such as NADTC campaign • Create materials that will last a while • Direct people to your website for more specific service information • Service specific information is good too, just not long-term
Marketing Plans Social media • Some sites are better than others • Cheap or free • Get partners to follow and • Pew Research Center, 2018 share • 18-29 year olds = highest use • Organizations who use your • Race and gender not factors services for usage • Agencies you contract with • Facebook and YouTube have • Municipalities highest use • Be consistent with content • Instagram and Twitter have half the • Follow some other transit use of Facebook and YouTube agencies for inspiration • “Faucet, not a firehose.”
Marketing Plans • Content • Use infographics • Relevant interesting data • Example: statistically, using public transit is 9 times safer than driving • Car crash fatalities are higher in rural areas • Keep data relevant to your agency
Marketing Plans • Content • Awards (bus operator of the month, service award, etc. ) • Special days • Holidays, Transit Driver appreciation day • Service changes • Dump the Pump day • Advertise events • Travel training, attending community events, offering service to community events, etc. • Photos of the service and bus • Keep colors for all marketing consistent with agency colors Source: USDOT
Marketing Plans • Main takeaways • What people need to know • What services are available • How they work • How they can meet their needs • What methods do you find most effective for reaching potential riders?
• Why is hiring and retention important? • Potentially less turn- over and time spent training • Promote openings on social media • Post frequently • Use multiple sources • Indeed, LinkedIn, Ziprecruiter, etc. • Post job openings Driver Recruitment physically at schools and on buses
Driver Recruitment • Create a realistic job • Try to represent a diverse preview video group to appeal to potential recruits from • Hire an intern or use tech- different backgrounds saavy staff to create video • Passengers may not want to • Feature your drivers be filmed talking about what it’s like • Simulate staff as passengers to work for your instead organization, and why they do it
Driver Recruitment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LGZX3Tw2ds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeoh-MKVNAg
Driver Recruitment • Employee referral • Benefits program • Statistically reduces costs • Cash bonus to employee for • Increases retention referral • Higher quality of hires • Limited budget options for employee incentive program • Thank-you gift cards for “above and beyond the call of duty” performance when it happens • Celebrating special milestones (including employment anniversaries and birthdays) • Occasionally surprising employees with pizza/food to express appreciation
Driver Recruitment • Salary scale • May need to look at the salary scale • Average bus driver salary in Illinois is $15.86 an hour • Working as a transit driver • Included school bus drivers and can be a very satisfying job Chicago • If money is their top priority, • Close to same across nation they might not be a good • BLS candidate for the job • Average for rural bus • But still need to pay a transportation - $19.03 reasonable wage • Average “other passenger transit” - $16.80
Driver Recruitment • Some organizations that • Ongoing training train new hires to get their • Opportunities to help CDLs requires them to employees improve, grow, and stay engaged work a minimum number • Consider cross-training, of days mentoring, and coaching • 90 days to a year • Employee recognition • Otherwise reimburse the organization for their • Appraisals training • Give notice for formal reviews • Alternative: pay higher wage • Small checks once they receive CDL • Post it notes under hoods or other inspection areas
Driver Recruitment • What issues do you face in your region? • What methods do you use when recruiting?
Breakout subcommittees Service and Training Vehicle Maintenance Community Outreach *Discussion sheets in folders
2020 Meeting Schedule • March 19, 2020 • Third Thursday of the month • Lifespan Center, Charleston • June 18, 2020 • 10am to noon • Arcola Center, Arcola • September 17, 2020 • Brookens Administrative Center, Urbana • *December 10, 2020 • CRIS Rural Mass Transit, Danville
Report Card Data Needed • Central Illinois Public Transit • Please do not forget to send me your annual certifications • CTF as well! • Developmental Services • Due September 30 th Center • Shelby County Community Services • Swann Special Care Center
Agency Updates • Current conditions • Accomplishments • Opportunities for coordination • New programs/activities • Other noteworthy information
Upcoming Events • Illinois Public Transit Association Fall Conference • September 18-20 th • Rosemont • RTAC Driver Training in Urbana • Emergency procedures, passenger assistance, defensive driving • Saturday, September 28 th • 8am to 4pm • IDOT Vehicle Maintenance Forum in Springfield • Wednesday, October 9 th • 9am to noon
Next Meeting: December 10 th SAIL Decatur, IL
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