AC Transit Service Guide to Launch New Bus Rapid Transit Service
Target Audience: There were two target audiences for this service guide: 1. Riders: The service guide targeted riders of both Tempo Line 1T and Line 1 (the line replaced by Tempo Line 1T) to introduce them to the brand-new bus rapid transit service and highlight differences from Line 1. 2. Community members: As Tempo Line 1T was introduced on a fully developed urban corridor, communication with the surrounding community was of utmost importance. The service guide was shared with community members as one way for them to get to know the new service.
Strategy Objective:The objective of the service guide was to help ensure that riders and community members were able to easily understand and safely navigate the operational changes introduced with Tempo Line 1T. As digital engagement rates are low on this diverse corridor, we wanted to distribute a printed piece in a variety of languages to give us the best chance at reaching the community. We produced the service guide in the four primary languages spoken in the area, utilized informative graphics and icons to support the text, and distributed printed guides directly to riders and other members of the community.
Situation Challenge: AC Transit's first bus rapid transit service launched on August 9, 2020 during a period of dramatically decreased ridership due to the global pandemic. The new line—Tempo Line 1T—replaced our most ridden line and traverses one of the most diverse corridors in our service area. In order to safely and easily navigate the transition, every rider needed to be aware of operational differences between Tempo Line 1T and the previous line. Due to low rates of digital engagement from riders and community members along the corridor, we have historically relied upon in-person outreach to ensure communication of critical information. With limited opportunities for in-person engagement due to the pandemic, the need for a clear, comprehensive service guide became even more important.
Results Impact: The service guide was launched as part of a multi-phased campaign and served to grow awareness and generate a 21% increase in ridership over Line 1. This increase was partially due to the comprehensive distribution plan we developed which ensured the service guide was available on coaches and at stations, distributed to businesses and community organizations along the corridor, and handed directly to riders through a multiweek brand ambassador effort which ensured ambassadors were available along the entire corridor when the new service began. Providing the service guide in printed and digital formats and distributing it in multiple languages also reinforced AC Transit's commitment to supporting equity on this diverse corridor.
Why Submit: The service guide was critical to the success of our Tempo Line 1T launch. The service guide served to both introduce our community to a brand-new service and provide the critical information they needed to navigate the service in a clear, easily digestible format. It also needed to be designed to meet distribution needs across a variety of channels and to allow our brand ambassadors to quickly point out important information to decrease the length of contact needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The service guide beautifully met all of these content and structural needs and, through the hard work of our Marketing, Design, and Print Shop teams, was produced 100% in-house.