rabbittransit "Let's Ride Together" COVID Response


Target Audience: The target audience for this campaign was our riders and employees. We knew that the best way to promote safety onboard the vehicles was to involve our drivers and riders as a team, working together for the good of the community.

Strategy Objective:We aimed to get our drivers and riders to work together to create a safer environment for all and to restore trust in the safety of public transportation after the statewide lockdown was lifted. During phase 1, educational signs were posted on the buses that promoted a 3-pronged approach to fighting COVID-19: practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and keeping hands clean. Electronic communication was sent out to our paratransit riders, inviting them to return to ride with us safely by following safety guidelines. Thanks to generous community donations of masks, any rider without a mask was offered one, free of charge. During phase two, the educational message was expanded. flyers and posters were displayed on all vehicles in rotation, with corresponding digital imagery.

Situation Challenge: Ridership was low after the lockdown ended with riders hesitant to return. There was uncertainty about the risks of contracting COVID-19 and some backlash from riders who didn't agree with the mask requirement. rabbittransit believed in following CDC guidelines in order to help protect the health of our riders and drivers, but the influx of new information about COVID-19 and the changing requirements and restrictions from local and state government meant our team also had to remain flexible and put out new material quickly.

Results Impact: Our "Let's Ride Campaign," with a budget of $3,000, was met with positive feedback from our drivers and community. The signs were featured on an abc27 news segment on the efforts to combat COVID-19 on the buses. Free masks were distributed to 268 riders in need. Ridership saw an increase that, while yet not a return to pre-pandemic levels, has held steady since the launch of the campaign.

Why Submit: rabbittransit's method of involving the riders as well as the drivers invited the riders to have some measure of control over their transportation environment. rabbittransit advertised its use of Lexan barriers to provide social distancing, installed hand sanitizing stations on all vehicles, and wiped down common touchpoints throughout the day, but without the riders also taking steps, it would have been difficult to restore trust in public transit. With everyone making an effort, it put riders and drivers on the same team, riding safely together.