Repositioning The Transit Argument
A new transit debate has begun in this country and, unfortunately, most transit agencies have yet to engage in it.
Traditionally, proponents of transit make one of the following arguments for transit usage: It’s cost-effecitve, it’s convenient, it’s good for the economy or it’s good for the environment/standard of living. While all fine arguments, they hardly correspond to the realities of modern life.
People are still buying large SUVs (though in smaller numbers), they’re still sitting in traffic for hours, they’re still racking up credit card debt and happily not recycling. Clearly, people do not act rationally.
The new argument for transit is technological. With everyone clamoring to have the latest plasma TV, the latest phone and sleekest computer, there’s no better time to take advantage of people’s irrational demands.
I picked up a copy of Wired magazine recently and was reminded that, like other tech outlets, they cover transportation. If car advertising is any guide, it’s clear that electronics such as “iPod Connectivity” are as important as mileage and comfort when buying a car. For example, when Ford launched it’s SYNC system with Microsoft, the web’s automotive blogs all leaped to cover the story.
If transit is to take advantage of this trend they’ll have to find a way to advertise their innovations. Besides having a useable website (and not everyone is doing this yet), transit marketing campaigns have to highlight technology.
A good example is LA County Metro, which took a service that isn’t entirely new and offered it as a great innovation. The Orange Line is a BRT service and, while BRT service isn’t new, it is new for the area.
The website for this service is slick, clean and utilizes the latest in flash-based interactive mapping to enhance the technological sophistication of the system.
The debate is already happening, it’s now time for transit to get involved.
Trackbacks