Partnering with Local Officials May 10, 2016 Presented by CFTE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Six Stops to Success: Partnering with Local Officials May 10, 2016 Presented by CFTE and the National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates

Art Guzzetti Vice President – Policy American Public Transportation Association

Speakers : Councilmember Rob Johnson Seattle City Council Commissioner Sig Hutchinson Wake County Board of Commissioners Mike Alexander Atlanta Regional Commission

SEATTLE CITY COUNCILMEMBER ROB JOHNSON (DISTRICT 4) FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION CHOICES COALITION

SAVING AND EXPANDING BUS SERVICE IN SEATTLE / KING CO.

BACKGROUND • 5 – Year Campaign • State Authorization: SB 2179, authorizing transportation districts • Local Efforts: lobbying, organizing, and coalition building at the county and city level • Establishing Need – Using Data as Narrative for. . . • The Agency (King County Metro) • Advocacy groups • The Public

CAMPAIGN – PART 1 • Pairing transit service with road infrastructure. • Politicizing the package: • Needs of local elected officials versus the reality of polling results • Election Demographics: • Transit funding needs versus an April electorate • Taxes: rural versus urban voters • Results: Rejected 54% to 46% with 38% turnout

CAMPAIGN – PART 2 • Getting politicians back on board • Building political pressure (win with us or without you: good cop / bad cop) • Media: traditional and non-traditional (blogs, social media, etc) • Campaigning to Win • Field • Fundraising • Communications / New Media • Data: Using the VAN and the “Transit Score” • Result: Approved 62.4% to 37.6% on 56.5% turnout.

FROM ADVOCATE TO ELECTED OFFICIAL • Lobbying in Olympia, WA in 2015 for $16B transportation package (as advocate) • Appointed as Board Member of Sound Transit (Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority) • Helping to craft and shape $50B Sound Transit 3 package for passage this November

Wake County Transit Plan Partnering with Local Officials WakeTransit.com @waketransit #waketransit

Referendums are won or lost long before the campaign begins Elected Officials The best way to educate officials is to get the • right people elected and then the education takes care of itself The next best thing is to get the right people to • talk to them The next best thing get them to soften their • positions www.waketransit.com @waketransit

Know every step in the process and have someone at every step who can advocate for your interests “Only the Paranoid Survive” Andrew S. Grove, CEO Intel www.waketransit.com @waketransit

It’s not the opposition that causes you to lose a referendum as much as your supporters turning against you Stakeholders Environmental Community – Progressives - Business Community Afro-American Community - Asian-American Communities – Home Builders - Seniors - Physically & Mentally Challenged – Realtors Mayors & City Councilors - Unions - Millennials Who can touch them in a positive way and speak to their interests Grassroots Organize a “Friends Group” to advocate and educate Grass Tops Who can speak to the “Grass Tops” with credibility and elevate the referendum to a priority – The Chamber www.waketransit.com @waketransit

Speak to the Listening of your Audience “85% of the people who will be voting for transit will never use it” Your Audience Geographic Differences • Life Experiences • Need Riders • Choice Riders • Millennials • Gender • Race • Income • www.waketransit.com @waketransit

Run Silent Run Deep The less you can talk about it, once you have their • vote, the better Don’t argue with the opposition – Stay positive and • stay on message Organize your supporters and speak with a unified • voice Organize and Speak to your base • Stay on Message, Stay on Message, Stay on Message • Micro target your audience in the way they are • listening. www.waketransit.com @waketransit

Sig Hutchinson Vice Chair Wake County Commission Wake County, NC Sig@SigHutchinson.com @SigHutchinson

Partnering with Local Officials Mike Alexander May 10, 2016

• 50% of Georgia’s Population • 13 entire counties; 7 partial counties • Over 100 Municipalities

The 2012 TSPLOST http://southernspaces.org/2013/well-tied-knot-atlantas-mobility-crisis- and-2012-t-splost-debate#content_top

Metro Atlanta Speaks-Background The Metro Atlanta Speaks (MAS) public opinion survey is now in its third year. The purpose of the survey is the gathering of opinions on how the 10-county Atlanta region rates in terms of key quality-of-life issues like transportation, education, the economy, civic engagement, the arts and aging in the Atlanta region. The 2015 MAS was conducted by A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service and Research at Kennesaw State University (KSU). The 2015 survey asked 26 questions of 5,200 residents in a 13-county area, with results significant down to the county-level. In 2015, the survey added questions on civic involvement and engagement. The 2014 MAS was conducted by The Schapiro Group, and asked 25 questions of 4,200 residents in a 10-county area, and was also significant down to the county-level. The 2013 instrument, conducted by KSU, asked 21 questions of 2,100 voting-age residents, and was significant only at the regional (overall 10-county) level. Each of the surveys was done with phone calls, implementing a random-digit-dialing (RDD) methodology. While each year’s survey provides a point-in-time understanding of how residents perceive the quality-of-life in metro Atlanta, the true value of the effort is and will be in understanding how perceptions do or don’t change over time. ARC will seek to, with its community partners, continue this survey annually to build such a “longitudinal” database of opinion shifts at the regional and county level. This summary focus on regional results and topline county data. Regional survey margin of error for the 2015 instrument is +_ 1.7% percentage points (from 2.1%) at the 95 percent confidence level. Margins of error at the county level range from +-5% to +-7%. Data to come will detail county-level results crosstabulated by demographics of respondents. For questions about MAS, contact Jim Skinner at jskinner@atlantaregional.com or 404-463-3317.

Biggest Problem for Metro Atlanta: MAS 2015 15.1% 17.2% 4.5% 14.0% 7.3% 4.9% 26.7% 4.9% ARC Region 12.5% 10.2% 3.0% 14.2% 8.5% 5.2% 37.2% 5.0% Gwinnett 37.1% 5.0% 12.3% 9.3% 2.5% 12.0% 8.3% 5.3% Cobb 33.3% 2.8% 18.5% 15.3% 6.0% 7.5% 6.5% 5.3% Cherokee 23.9% 7.2% 19.0% 22.2% 4.5% 11.7% 5.5% 3.0% Douglas 23.5% 5.0% 13.3% 22.5% 4.5% 15.5% 6.5% 3.5% Henry 22.3% 3.3% 18.3% 19.3% 6.0% 16.3% 6.8% 4.0% Fulton 12.8% 20.8% 5.5% 17.3% 5.0% 5.5% 21.6% 5.5% DeKalb 21.5% 19.3% 6.0% 8.3% 5.5% 6.0% 20.0% 7.8% Coweta 19.5% 9.5% 15.8% 25.3% 2.5% 11.5% 6.0% 4.0% Fayette 19.1% 3.5% 13.9% 28.3% 3.7% 8.2% 10.7% 6.9% Rockdale 17.3% 2.5% 20.3% 23.8% 4.5% 8.3% 8.5% 9.8% Paulding 11.5% 7.0% 15.8% 25.0% 5.3% 15.3% 11.0% 2.0% Clayton 10.0% 2.6% 26.6% 24.0% 5.7% 12.7% 3.9% 4.8% Butts 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% Transportation Race Relations Economy Crime Public Health Public Education Human Services Taxes Other Don't Know Source: Metro Atlanta Speaks 2015 survey

Importance of Public Transit to the Region: MAS 2015 Region "Excellent or Good" 81.3% 17.8% 0.3% DeKalb 5.2% 2.7% 77.6% 14.5% Fulton 74.3% 19.8% 4.8% 1.3% Clayton 8.3% 2.5% 72.0% 17.3% Douglas 69.5% 22.5% 6.3% 1.8% Gwinnett 7.3% 2.3% 68.4% 22.1% Rockdale 66.5% 21.3% 9.8% 2.5% Cobb 7.5% 0.8% 63.0% 28.8% Henry 62.8% 28.0% 7.3% 2.0% Coweta 13.2% 1.5% 58.9% 26.4% Fayette 57.8% 26.8% 14.5% 1.0% Cherokee 11.2% 1.2% 57.4% 30.2% Paulding 54.8% 21.3% 19.6% 4.3% Butts 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0% Very Important Somewhat Important Not Important At All Don't Know Source: Metro Atlanta Speaks 2015 survey

Best Way to Fix Traffic--MAS Response Comparison 2015/2014/2013 4% Don't Know 4% 5% 5% 2015 2014 2013 Do nothing 5% 3% Develop 16% communities live 21% close to work 22% 31% Improve roads/ 28% highways 30% 44% Expand public 42% transit 41% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Source: Metro Atlanta Speaks surveys

New Engagement Models

http://advanceatlanta.com/#ourstory

Innovative Examples of Providing Direct Transportation Planning Services and Support to Communities • Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTPs) • Transportation Project Delivery Support • Local Sales Tax Referendum Support

CT CTP Program Overv rview • Funding assistance program for counties and their municipalities to develop joint long-range transportation plans • Final products serve as input in developing ARC’s regional plans • Five Year Update Cycles (once initial CTP is approved) • Help jurisdictions identify local priorities and community vision • Establish relationships between local and regional transportation expectations 27