Santa Clarita Transit Parade
Target Audience: Santa Clarita Transit is operated by MV Transportation, which has worked seamlessly with the City to ensure that transit service remained safe and reliable throughout the pandemic. As a surprise to operators, the City arranged for a transit parade through the center of town where City Hall staff, as well as Los Angeles County Sherriff and Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel, could show their appreciation for their fellow front-line workers. Hearts for Heroes banners were hung over major city streets, as well as at the bus operators' exit at the City's Transit Maintenance Facility, reminding transit operators daily of the importance of the essential service they provide.
Strategy Objective:Santa Clarita staff wished to marry the national #SoundTheHorn campaign with our local #HeartsForHeroes campaign as the messaging was similar. #HeartsForHeroes encourages residents to design a heart and display it with a message of gratitude for our essential workers in all industries. By combining the campaigns, our local efforts saw social media reach across the nation. Sound the Horn dates were typically not released more than a few days in advance, so staff worked quickly to put together physical displays as well as coordinate with local agencies to ensure the campaign garnered media attention.
Situation Challenge: Santa Clarita Transit operators have remained behind the wheel since the onset of the pandemic. Their resilience has ensured that other essential workers can get to work, and residents could complete critical trips. Operators have experienced an ebb and flow of restrictions, provided personal protective equipment to passengers and ensured riders maintain social distance while onboard. City staff wished to let our operators know that their efforts were appreciated not just by our riders but city-wide.
Results Impact: The transit parade raised awareness of the importance of public transportation, particularly as an essential service during the coronavirus pandemic. Most importantly, it raised the morale of our operators. The men and women who have worked tirelessly to keep our community moving in difficult times appreciated the recognition and were reinvigorated.
Why Submit: On May 21, 2020, Santa Clarita Transit joined agencies across the nation in the #SoundTheHorn campaign in support of transit employees and other essential workers. The campaign dovetailed with the City's own Hearts for Heroes campaign, which has run continuously since March 2020. The event highlighted transit workers and the essential work they do for our community which resulted in coverage in multiple local news outlets as well as social media. Transit workers don't often get the thanks they deserve, so for our operators to receive recognition from the community as well as local law enforcement and fire personnel was extremely uplifting. An AdWheel Award would serve to further recognize our transit employees.