OTA Campaign to Increase State Funding of Public Transit
Target Audience: The campaign had two intended audiences. The general public in order for Oklahomans to express their support for increased state funding of public transit to legislators and the legislature to achieve increased state funding for public transit. The campaign was designed to educate lawmakers on the needs and impact of public transit. It was also designed to help the public understand the funding needs of transit so they could easily communicate support for increased funding to legislators.
Strategy Objective:The strategy included 160 videos and story notecards – the Faces of Transit effort – which told why transit is important. Those needs stories were bolstered by changing the narrative to transit is an economic growth program providing quality of life benefits. After the benefit and needs foundation was established, the strategy continued with local Ride Alongs where legislators received a policy briefing and then rode the transit system with their constituent-users. Lastly, the Public Transit Gets Us There collateral was used in a variety of media sources, driving the general public to a website where they joined the Oklahomans for Mobility coalition. As each person joined the coalition, an email was sent to their state Senator, Representative and the Governor calling for increased funding.
Situation Challenge: A 2018 Oklahoma needs assessment study by the Small Urban and Rural Transit Center found that Oklahoma's transit systems were meeting about 50% of the citizens' mobility needs due to lack of funding. The study found there was an immediate need for increased state funding for both operating expenses and capital investment in order to meet the mobility needs of all Oklahomans. State funding for public transit in Oklahoma had remained flat since 2007 at $5.7 million dollars per year. That level of funding represented a 2.1% reduction in per capita spending since FY13, ranking Oklahoma 32nd in state funding levels. The campaign was necessary to gain support from the public to increase public transit spending and to convince the legislature to appropriate additional public transit funding.
Results Impact: The Public Transit Gets Us There piece resulted in more than 1,000 Oklahomans joining the Oklahomans for Mobility coalition in under 90 days, with more than 3,000 emails being sent to legislators in support of increased funding. The legislative session and the budget passed during the session were impacted by reduced state revenues first caused by a depressed oil economy and then COVID. Despite this, the legislature increased funding for rural transit by $5 million. As a result of the budget directive, the administration ultimately increased the funding to $6 million and made it available not just to rural systems, but also urban, small urban, tribal and 5310 providers. The Senate Appropriations Committee Chair ensured that additional increases would be made in future budgets.
Why Submit: The campaign, deserving of national recognition, was well planned with goals and objectives. It partnered with many in the transit industry and told the story of public transit, stressing the important role transit provides in moving people from where they are to where they need or want to go. It focused not only on need, but the economic impact causing more conservative lawmakers in a red state to understand the broad benefits transit provides. It was well-executed and proved that a grassroots campaign in a truck centric state can sway public opinion and policy/funding. Most importantly, the campaign achieved its goal of increased state funding for public transit in a conservative state – the first time in 17 years. It caused a near doubling in state spending during a budget crisis.