Transit Connections 2013
The Value of Transit
The Economics of Transit:
Here and Around the Nation / Innovative Transit Solutions
Tom Skancke
Las Vegas Global
Economic Alliance
Stephen Maples
University of Nevada,
Reno
Andrew Austin
American for Transit
Building Communities for the
Future
Attracting, growing,
and retaining
millennials through
great public transit
Americans for Transit
• Mission: to create, strengthen, and unite grassroots
transit rider campaigns
• Founded in 2012 by the Amalgamated Transit Union
& Good Jobs First
• Train to build capacity; Support campaigns on-site;
Build a national coalition of grassroots transit rider
organizations.
Who we are – Advocates &
Riders
Who am I?
• Avid bus rider, train nerd, bike rider, and walker
• Former Field Director at Transportation Choices in
Washington State
• Worked on multiple successful (and a few
unsuccessful) transit ballot campaigns; led advocacy
to save bus service statewide
What the Heck Is a
Millennial Anyway?
Wikipedia says…
• William Strauss and Neil Howe
coined term in some books about
the post Gen-X generation.
• Roughly defined as people born
between 1982-2004.
I am a Millennial…
Who grew up in an medium sized town
& in a middle class family.
Which means (like many of my
peers)…
I grew up getting certificates and stickers for
things that maybe should have been expected
(“graduating” 4th grade and potty training anyone?)
7 out of 10 Millennials
Support…
We are the last generation
To hear World War II stories (as teenagers and
adults) directly from those who lived it…
Real Problem…
Sort of…
• This is the most educated generation in American
history and the only group for whom real wages
fell in the three years after the recession began.
(Youth/national unemployment)
“How to Write the Worst
Possible Column About
Millennials”
• “use vapid tropes about spoiled young people
refusing to work bc they just don't want to”
• Pretend every member of this 85-million-person
generation grew up in a fabricated life-size
playhouse on the set of Hannah Montana.
• Blame today's high youth unemployment on
"their parents’ success"
How to Write the Worst Possible Column
About Millennials
And Maybe….
• Some of us…
• Okay just me…
• Want this on our wedding cake
Millennials and
Transportation
1. What we know
2. What we can do about
3. Where we go from here
What do we know?
1-Driving down (car ownership)
What do we know?
1-Driving down (Miles Driven)
1-Driving down, decrease in Auto commutes
What do we know?
1-Driving simply flat/ way down (per capita)
1-Driving down (Miles Driven)Planning hasn’t caught up!
What do we know?
2-Demand for Transit Soaring (ridership)
2-Demand for Transit Soaring
Voters are saying yes at the ballot Box
2-Demand for Transit Soaring (yes at ballot box)
Success Rates
90%
82%
80%
70%
68%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
46%
77%
73%
65%
51%
79%
77%
71%
60%
50%
83%
66%
71%
Wins not a one-off trend!
Number of Ballot Measures
450
395
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
32
56
41
14
17
49
24
57
48
18
11
28
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Total
What do we know?
2-Polls Agree, Demand for Transit Soaring
What do we know?
3-Millennials are driving the increased
demand for transit nationally
We’d Rather be…
Then…
What we know (Re-cap)
1. People are driving less
2. Demand for transit is rising
(fare box, ballot box, polling)
3. Millennials are key
demographic behind these
trends
What can ‘WE’
(transit providers,
planners, businesses,
and advocates)
DO about IT?
What can we do about it?
1-More GREAT Transit…
What can we do about it?
NOT Less
Transit that attracts
young people to use
it, and keep using it,
should be good for
everyone…
Direct and Fast(er)
Reliable and (usually) on
time
Is easy to use, affordable,
clean and safe…
Goes where people want to
go (for smart planners to figure out)!
What can we do about it?
2- Design communities for people
Not cars.
What can we do about it?
3-User friend relevant Technology
What can we do about it?
4-Marketing and Communications that
Speaks to Millennials
What we Can do(Re-cap)
1. Plan and build great transit
2. Create people focused
communities
3. Implement user friendly
technology in transit
4. Relevant, modern,
communication
No Amount of great marketing,
social media savviness, and
relevant communications…
Can replace great transit and places
What Is Next?
That is up to you!
Discussion & Stay in Touch!
• Like us on Facebook at
/Americansfortransit
• Follow us at Twitter @A4Transit
• Website www.americansfortransit.org
• Email me with additional questions or
news you’d like to share with national
pro-transit audience.
• Andrew@Americansfortransit.org