Campaign
"Public Transportation: Wherever Life Takes You" is a nationwide education and outreach campaign designed to strengthen support for public transportation among the public and local, state and federal officials.
The campaign is educating the public about the many benefits public transportation provides to individuals and communities. By helping the American public appreciate the full value and broad range of advantages, broader support for increased investment in public transportation policies will be built.
Goals
- To increase federal funding for public transportation;
- To broaden support at the regional, state and local levels;
- To improve perceptions about the value and benefits of public transportation;
- To increase appreciation for public transportation's contributions to local communities.
Activities
Activities are focused on building support for public transportation among riders and non-riders, particularly those who are considered activists and opinion leaders.
This group, representing one in five Americans, has the ability to shape public opinion and will advocate causes they deem important. The campaign has three components:
Research -- Provides a foundation for ongoing education and outreach efforts to provide compelling statistics, facts and stories to make the case to elected officials for more funding and generate media coverage.
Communications and Public Affairs -- Supports the other campaign components by maintaining a constant interest in Washington and nationally among media and opinion leaders regarding the benefits of public transportation and the need for increased investment.
Advocacy -- Consists of national and local efforts to build support for public transportation among interest groups and key constituencies.
What's the Campaign's Message?
The campaign will emphasize the American values that characterize the personal benefits of public transportation: opportunity, choice, access and freedom. These elements enable people to accomplish what is important to them, making communities stronger and more vibrant for riders and non-riders alike.
OPPORTUNITY
Public transportation creates a wealth of new opportunities for individuals and communities. It is a catalyst for economic and social opportunities that help make America more efficient and productive.
CHOICE
Public transportation is an essential part of a balanced transportation system that includes buses, trains, walkways, bicycle paths, air service and highways. Every day transit allows Americans from every walk of life to make decisions that improve the quality of their lives, such as shortening commute times to spend more time with their families, doing their part to improve air quality, or avoiding dangerous driving situations.
ACCESS
Public transportation makes it possible for millions of people to access work, school, medical appointments and other everyday activities. It also provides access to new opportunities by fostering communities where people can drive less and walk more, by providing greater access to community events, and by meeting the needs of all citizens, particularly those who do not drive.
FREEDOM
Public transportation provides Americans with freedom to live their lives, pursue opportunities, make choices, and enjoy greater access and mobility. It helps create neighborhoods that are strong, an environment that is clean, and an economy that is prosperous. Ensuring this freedom requires safety and security. That is why every public transportation system in America has made the safety and security of passengers a top priority.
Messages
Public transportation creates a wealth of opportunity for individuals and communities. It is a catalyst for economic and social opportunities that help make America more efficient and productive.
Public transportation provides access for millions of people to get to work, school, medical appointments and other everyday activities.
It also provides access to new opportunities by fostering livable communities where people can drive less and walk more-even to community events-meeting the needs of all citizens, particularly those who do not drive or own a car.
Public transportation is an essential part of a balanced transportation system that includes buses, trains, walkways, bicycle paths, air service and highways giving Americans choices of how to get from place to place.
Everyday, riding transit allows Americans from all walks of life to make decisions that improve their quality of lives-like shortening commute times to spend more time with their families, contributing to better air quality, and avoiding stressful driving situations.
Public transportation provides Americans with freedom to live their lives, pursue opportunities, make choices, and enjoy greater access and mobility.
It helps create strong neighborhoods, a clean environment, and a prosperous economy.
Ensuring this freedom also requires safety and security. That is why every American public transportation system makes the safety and security of its passengers a top priority.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: THE NEED IS NOW
Throughout the U.S., public transportation is undergoing a renaissance. Steady increases in transit investment have dramatically improved and expanded public transportation services, attracting record numbers of riders on state-of-the-art systems in metropolitan, small urban and rural areas alike.
Through improved mobility, safety, security, economic opportunity and environmental quality, public transportation benefits every segment of American society -- individuals, families, businesses, industries and communities-and supports important national goals and policies. These numerous benefits provide a powerful case for investing today in the future upgrade and expansion of the nation's public transportation network.
While the public transportation industry reaches record growth, traffic congestion continues to choke America's roadways and restrain community and business development.
The rebirth of public transportation is critically important to America's future, providing more capacity, creating more choices and helping address the needs of a growing and changing population. A balanced, multi-modal transportation network is vital to thriving communities, and citizens and elected officials must better understand the benefits of public transportation and why now is the time for increased investment.
American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
The Public Transportation Partnership for Tomorrow campaign was conceived and implemented by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a non-profit international association of more than 1,500 members responsible for planning, designing, constructing, financing and operating public transportation systems. APTA members also include business organizations that supply products and services to the public transportation industry, as well as academic institutions, state associations, metropolitan planning organizations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of people who use public transportation in the United States and Canada.
APTA's mission is to serve and lead its diverse membership through advocacy, innovation and information sharing to strengthen and expand public transportation.
For more information about Public Transportation Partnership for Tomorrow or APTA, please visit contact:
Mr. Mantill Williams
Director
Advocacy Communications
mwilliams@apta.com
(202) 496-4869
Mr. Mark Neuville
Program Manager
Advocacy Communications
mneuville@apta.com
(202) 496-4821
Public Transportation Partnership For Tomorrow Work Plan
