Hard lessons in reputation management
Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference, June 24, 2013
Sound Transit District
Light rail “near death” experience
• Nov ‘96 Sound Move ballot measure passes
• Nov ’00 Tunnel negotiations suspended
• Jan ‘01 Full funding grant agreement
Executive director resigns
• Apr ’01 Inspector General suspends funding
In the news
Sound Transit taken to task
- Seattle P-I
Sound Transit: a matter of trust
-Seattle Times
Sharks circling regional light rail
- The News Tribune
Lawsuit seeks to halt light rail
- Seattle P-I
U.S. to audit troubled rail project
- Seattle P-I
Sound Transit Board must take hold of light rail fiasco
- Everett Herald
Starting the long road to recovery
• Apr ’01
• Jun ’01
• July ’02
• Oct ’03
• Nov ’03
Agency-wide reorganization
Joni Earl new Exec. Director
New initial segment defined
New $500m FFGA application
FTA awards $500m FFGA
Link groundbreaking
Back on track
‘Sound Transit is the little engine
that could’ - Sen. Patty Murray
Additional successes
• 2008: Resounding approval of $18 billion
Sound Transit 2 measure following 2007
Roads & Transit defeat
• 2009: $813m FFGA for University Link
• 2009: Central Link completed within the 2001
revised schedule and budget
How’d we do it?
• Earn trust: Under promise/over deliver model
• Centralize communications functions
• Aggressive community outreach
- One-on-ones, Speakers Bureau
• Capitalize on every milestone and success
• Public opinion research
Managing Your Reputation
Telephone Surveys/
Public Involvement
The future is bright
53%
47%
49%
41%
31%
35%
31%
31%
16%
Dec
'00
20%
May
'02
Nov
'02
23%
23%
63%
21%
20%
64%
24%
24%
67%
45%
32%
36%
18%
23%
13%
Jun
'01
61%
64%
51%
28%
18%
60%
65%
Apr
'03
Favorable
Nov
'03
17%
Nov
'04
Unfavorable
16%
Sep
'05
13%
Oct
'06
17%
Apr
'07
12%
13%
Nov
'07
Feb
'08
15%
Nov
'10
Can't Rate/ Never Heard
13
Investment Worth It? (2010)
Q25. Do you think tax investments in Sound Transit thus far have been completely worth it, mostly,
not worth much or worth nothing at all?
Worth it
Not worth it
(Don't know)
70%
(+7)
63%
(+2)
61%
32%
(--)
32%
7%
Sep. 2005
25%
(-7)
5%
Oct. 2006
5%
Nov. 2010
14
Mind Share (2012)
Have you ever considered riding Sound Transit express bus, Sounder commuter rail or light rail
for your current commute instead of driving?
Non-transit commuters:
1,880,314 (79%)
Not
considered
ST
1,523,054
81%
Considered
ST
357,260
19%
15
Target Market (Mind/Market Share 2012)
% of the region’s regular commuters who do not take transit, are between ages 16 and 64, have
commutes 10 miles or longer and are not opposed to riding on of Sound Transit’s services
Taken ST in past
8% (190,046)
Target Market
of 38% of
regular
commuters
(902,720)
Considered & not
taken
6% (142,535)
Not considered &
not taken - 24%
(570,139)
16
Focus Groups
Types of Focus Groups for Sound Transit
•
Voter groups to investigate financial issues (2001)
•
Voter groups to investigate future packages and plans (2005, 2008)
•
Resident groups on light rail ridership (2009)
•
Rider groups on schedule books (2010)
•
Groups with potential riders (2011, 2012)
18
Customer Satisfaction
Intercepts
Sound Transit Grade by Year
Q6. If you were giving Sound Transit an overall report card, where A means excellent, C means
average, and F means failing, what overall grade would you give them?
Mean Grade (A=4; F=0)
4.00
3.50
3.4
3.4
3.2
3.3
2008
42%
2009
2010
45%
53%
3.4
3.3
AB+
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
“A” grade
responses:
2007
53%
2011
48%
Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC #12-4773
2012
46%
20
Benchmarking Against Other Agencies
Q6. If you were giving Sound Transit an overall report card, where A means excellent, C means
average, and F means failing, what overall grade would you give them?
Overall Satisfaction
Sound Transit
2012
46%
BART 2012
40%
OCTA Bus
2011
40%
RTA Chicago
2011
Calgary Transit
2012
MTA NYC Bus
2012
41%
44%
16%
40%
23%
20%
60%
20%
16%
13%
50%
30%
52%
A/Very Satisfied/Excellent
17%
32%
B/Smwt Satisfied/Good
Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC #12-4773
Lower
21
% of Choice Riders with a Car (Choice Survey)
Q4. Did you have a car available that you could have used for this trip?
‘Yes’ % Overall and by Service
All
79%
Sounder
Exp. Bus
C. Link
86%
78%
77%
Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC #12-4773
22
Rider Panel
Rider Panel
24
SoundOff Results: April-May 2013
What is the best part of your commute on transit?
% of SoundWaves respondents mentioning each (Top mentions)
Able to do other things
28%
Relaxing/Less stressful
20%
Avoiding traffic
18%
Convenient/Don't have to drive
12%
Reliable schedule
12%
Comfortable
11%
Availability
9%
Faster than driving
Scenic
Socializing
8%
7%
5%