Lowcountry Rapid Transit – Equitable and Inclusive Transit, Video Series

Target Audience: A video series was developed for Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT), South Carolina's first mass transit system. The video series was targeted to stakeholders and communities whose quality of life will most be enhanced by the system. The three videos in this series aimed to capture the attention of decision makers, current and potential ridership, on-corridor communities, local businesses, and potential project champions. Additionally, the videos were developed to show representation of the communities that LCRT will serve – primarily to show that the project is being built for the community by the community.

Strategy Objective:The team developed three videos, each with a different videography discipline and goals: Opportunity: (Using b-roll footage). Developed to entice early excitement for what is to come. Written and narrated by Charleston-based poet Marcus Amaker, the video offers a story of hope, balances community and cultural visuals, and features local artisans, businesses and landmarks. BRT 101: (2D animation) Utilized at public meetings and events to educate on BRT and encourage input. This garnered early support and system champions, while answering questions. Visualization: (3D) After receiving significant public input, the system was brought to life by showcasing the branding, architecture and routing. It unveiled the experience riders will have – and one that they had input into from the onset.

Situation Challenge: LCRT is a 21.5 modern bus rapid transit project that will bring transformation to one of our state's most overlooked, diverse, busiest and unsafe corridors. LCRT will connect our neighbors with resources that allow them to thrive – employment hubs, affordable housing, healthcare and entertainment. We knew at the onset of the project that it was importance for communities to recognize that they would have a a voice in the responsible, equitable planning process. We communicate this through three videos at various touchpoints. The video series for this project is one that helped the community see the system come to life that is being built with them, for them. This system is an opportunity worth celebrating and communicating visually.

Results Impact: We sought to build support as getting people on board early and excited for a new mode of travel is one key to success. The public and stakeholders were quick to rally behind the project because they could visualize its opportunities. Since the videos were each created with the people that live and work here in mind, that resonated with our audiences and resulted in greater in-person and virtual participation. The team has held over 800 events and shared a video from the series, or clips of them, at almost every event. This has allowed us to draw people in for more feedback into the project resulting over 50,000 website views and 650 project comments received. Overall, the videos were a welcomed and invaluable asset to discussing LCRT with the community.

Why Submit: We believe that everyone should have more options for mobility throughout the area. We believe in the responsible, community-conscious growth of the Lowcountry. We believe in reliable, frequent and accessible public transit. The opportunities that LCRT can bring are just that and it's worth celebrating with our communities. We know it is hard to capture the public's attention, especially across a project's duration. This team thought out of the box to reach new audiences and bring them into the conversation through this mixed-media video series. This is a system being built with the community at its core and the team reflected that narrative in this video series, celebrating diversity, and rich history of the communities that LCRT will serve.