Marketing Plan Final

STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN

FOR

MARIN TRANSIT

FINAL
Prepared by:
Selena Barlow
1638 E. Lester St., Tucson, AZ 85719
V: 520.322.9607 E: [email protected]
March 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Marketing Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 2
Target Markets................................................................................................................................. 3
Marketing Strategies ........................................................................................................................ 5
Priority 1: Essential Marketing Strategies Branding and Passenger Information............................ 6
Branding Strategy ..................................................................................................................... 6
Passenger Information Strategies ............................................................................................ 8
Fare Media ............................................................................................................................. 16
Customer Experience ............................................................................................................. 19
Priority 2: Awareness and Image Building Advertising and Public Relations ................................ 21
Advertising .............................................................................................................................. 21
Public Relations ...................................................................................................................... 24
Priority 3: Targeted Ridership Strategies Community Based Marketing Programs ...................... 26
Gatekeeper Relationships and Communications ................................................................... 27
Local and Shuttle Route Ridership ......................................................................................... 29
West Marin Stagecoach Ridership ......................................................................................... 39
Route Specific Marketing for New or Targeted Routes .......................................................... 42
Implementation .............................................................................................................................. 43
Appendix (under separate cover)

Situation Summary ........................................................................................................................ 47
Stakeholder Interviews .................................................................................................................. 64
Focus Groups Participants ............................................................................................................ 69
Advertising Media Information ....................................................................................................... 71
INTRODUCTION
This Marketing Plan provides a strategic approach to marketing Marin
Transits various public transit services. It identifies objectives, target
markets and specific strategies for enhancing the systems image and
ridership. The plan is based on the findings of the Market Assessment,
which is included in the Appendix. Sources of information utilized in the
development of this plan include:
Review of Marin Transits Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) and
Systems Analysis Report.
Review of existing passenger information and marketing materials.
Interviews with management staff at Marin Transit, Golden Gate
Transit, and Whistlestop Wheels.
Interviews with front line staff at Marin Airporter and MV
Transportation.
Interviews with stakeholders throughout Marin County representing
social service agencies, advocacy groups, businesses, and
educational institutions.
Focus groups with Marin County transit riders and potential riders.
Evaluation of the passenger experience gained by using a wide
variety of transit services within Marin County.
Visits to all Marin County Transit Centers.
Collection of rate and coverage information for Marin County
advertising and news media.
DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 1

MARKETING OBJECTIVES
Marin Transit staff has identified the overall goal for this marketing plan
as to better serve the transit dependent population, while also attracting
choice riders. With that overarching goal, the Strategic Marketing Plan
has been designed to address the following set of objectives.
Build awareness among the Marin County population for

the entire family of Marin Transit services.
Marin Transit is an entirely new brand with little or no awareness.
While two of its component services (Golden Gate Transit and
Whistlestop Wheels) have specific identities and enjoy fairly high
awareness, there is no relationship between these brands nor
between them and Marin Transit. One of the key objectives for this
plan is to establish the Marin Transit brand and educate the
population about how the family of services tie together to meet the
transportation needs of various consumer segments.
Improve the ease of understanding and using transit in

Marin County.
Local transit services in Marin County are perceived by potential
riders, and even some riders, as difficult to understand and use.
This plan will include passenger information and other strategies
designed to address both the reality and perception of ease of use.
Improve the customer experience for all Marin County

local transit riders.
While some aspects of the Marin Transit customer experience are
excellent, others need to be improved to attract and retain additional
riders. This plan will address strategies for enhancing passenger
information, signage, bus stops and fare media to improve the
overall customer experience.
Situation
Situation
Conduct targeted marketing efforts to build ridership
among segments with the greatest potential to benefit Objectives
Objectives
from transit usage.
Finally, the plan will address specific strategies and programs for Target
TargetMarkets
Markets
generating trial and on-going ridership among specific potential rider
segments including commuters, students, low-income families, Strategies
Strategies
Latinos, seniors and West Marin residents and visitors.
Product
Product Pricing
Pricing Promotion
Promotion

TARGET MARKETS
Marin Countys transit services are used by a heavily
commute oriented, yet diverse, ridership base. Key
segments among the current and potential ridership base
include:
Low income workers

This is the largest segment among the current
ridership base. These riders are making daily trips to
jobs throughout Marin County and contribute heavily to
the systems boardings, as more than half of all trips
are work trips.
Hispanic Community
In the on-board survey conducted during development
of the SRTP, 40% of all riders completed the
questionnaire in Spanish. Latinos are an important ridership
segment for Marin Transit. The Canal area which has 15,000
residents, 70% of whom are Hispanic, generates the highest transit
usage in the County.
Commuters traveling in key corridors

Most Marin County commuters with transportation options would be
unwilling to endure the additional travel time or inconvenience
required to use transit for local commute trips. However, there are
specific corridors in which transit can be a relatively convenient
alternative to driving: for example, Fairfax or San Anselmo to
downtown San Rafael. These might provide limited target audiences
among which to promote choice ridership.
County Employees
County employees enjoy a $4 per day transit subsidyin essence
they have free transit service within Marin County. Direct marketing
through County channels can encourage this group to try transit.
Efforts can likely be targeted based on zip-code to reach those with
the greatest likelihood of finding transit a convenient way to
commute.
Middle and High School Students

Middle and high school students are an important target for
supplemental routes, but also for general ridership. Approximately
16% of current trips are to/from school. Students, particularly those
too young to drive, have the potential to use transit for recreation as
well as commuting.

College Students
Marin Transit provides service to College of Marin (two campuses)
and Dominican University. College of Marin has about 9000
students, of whom more than 85% live in Marin County. Dominican
University has about 2000 students.
Low income families

While Marin Countys population is highly affluent, about 8.5% of the
population lives below the poverty level. Many of these individuals
are concentrated in the Canal district of San Rafael and around
Marin City. While low income families use transit heavily, they do not
do so universally. There is likely room to increase ridership even
among groups commonly considered transit dependent.
Seniors
Marin Countys residents are aging in place and the 65+ component
of the population is growing rapidly. By 2020 it is projected that 35%
of the population will be over 65. This coming wave of baby boomer
seniors is referred to as Marins Silver Tsunami. Most of this
population will not come to transit easily. They are used to the
convenience of driving themselves. Neither Marin Countys
topography (hilly), nor much of the transit system structure (freeway
focused) is conducive to the use of fixed route services by seniors
with declining mobility. However, there are exceptions. The three
new shuttle routes, the EZ-Rider in Novato and specific segments of
other fixed routes offer services that seniors can use. However,
attracting them will take a very targeted, hands-on approach to
marketing.
Bicyclists
There are a large number of bicycle riders in Marin County both
individuals who bike for recreation and those who bike to commute.
The bike racks on the buses are well used and the bike racks at San
Rafael Transit Center were observed to be full by late morning.
Bicycle advocates and users are natural allies for public
transportation. Marin Transit should seek to make the system as
bike friendly as possible and to work with bike advocacy groups to
garner positive public relations.
Recreational Travelers
The West Marin Stagecoach serves parks and coastal communities
attractive to both Marin County and Bay Area recreational travelers.
While active marketing to this sporadic, widely distributed audience
would be cost prohibitive, it is an audience that can be reached with
effective on-line information and targeted links from other websites
(such as now exists on the Point Reyes National Seashore site).

MARKETING STRATEGIES
This section forms the core of this Strategic Marketing Plan. It identifies
specific strategies and tactics to be used in pursuing the previously
outlined marketing objectives and addressing the various target
segments.
The strategies have been organized into a three phased approach which
recognizes that Marin Transits marketing resources particularly staff
resources are currently limited. The three phases are based on the
priority of each strategy, as well as a logical time sequence that allows
later strategies to build on earlier efforts. The marketing strategies are
organized as follows:
Priority 1: Essential Marketing Strategies

Branding and Passenger Information
This phase will lay the groundwork for future marketing efforts.
Branding and passenger information strategies will establish the
Marin Transit identity, while enhancing both the customer experience
and ease of use for the local transit services. These strategies
should be in place prior to implementation of the priority 2
promotional strategies.
Priority 2: Awareness and Image Building Strategies

Advertising and Public Relations
This phase will utilize advertising and public relations strategies to
build broader awareness for Marin Transit, while positioning the local
transit services as user friendly. These are strategies which can be
implemented with limited internal staff, utilizing outside resources for
graphic design, media placement, etc.
Priority 3: Targeted Ridership Strategies

Community Based Marketing Programs
This phase will include very targeted, community based marketing
strategies designed to build awareness and trial usage among key
potential riders segments. These strategies are more labor
intensive, as they are based on building and utilizing community
partnerships. They will require a higher level of staff involvement.
It should be noted that the implementation of many of these strategies

will require coordination with and the support of Golden Gate Transit.

PRIORITY 1: ESSENTIAL MARKETING STRATEGIES
BRANDING AND PASSENGER INFORMATION
The strategies in this section lay the groundwork for future marketing
efforts. Branding and passenger information strategies will establish the
Marin Transit identity, while enhancing both the customer experience
and ease of use for the local transit services. These strategies should be
in place prior to implementation of the priority 2 promotional strategies.
Branding Strategy
Co-brand all local services as a service of Marin Transit.
The Market Assessment discussed three options for establishing the

Marin Transit brand. The option which appears to be the most viable is
to co-brand all local services operating in Marin County as a service of
Marin Transit. This would involve adding the Marin Transit identity to
vehicles, bus stop signs, passenger information and promotional
materials for all services funded by Marin County. Since vehicles and
bus stops are a transit systems most visible and pervasive
communications tools, the prominent use of the Marin Transit brand on
these elements will be critical.
Vehicles
Transit vehicles are the packaging for transit services and
the local transit vehicles in Marin County need to be
packaged consistent with the Countys transit brand.
Marin Transit decals should be added to all local transit
vehicles both prominently near the passenger door and on
the back of the vehicle. (The photo at the right illustrates a
possible placement of the co-brand decal on the Golden
Gate buses serving local Marin County routes. This is just one possibility Rough concept only
and would require the use of ContraVision type decal material to
maintain visibility. There are other possible placements that can be
explored, such as at the top of the vehicle above the front windows.)
For the routes operated by Golden Gate Transit (GGT), this level of co-
branding would require that specific vehicles be assigned to Marin Local
Transit Routes. This would also eliminate remaining opportunities for
interlining with regional services and may require additional equipment.
This designation of vehicles, in addition to allowing for branding, would
also open the door for other Marin County specific marketing strategies
such as local fare media, distribution of local passenger information
guides or newsletters on the bus, and posting of information specific to
Marin County riders.

Marin Transit understands that there are costs associated with
establishing a dedicated sub-fleet and has asked Golden Gate Transit to
explore this possibility.
Bus Stops
Bus stops also provide an extremely visible and pervasive channel for
communicating the Marin Transit Brand. Stops that are used for local
service should be branded with the Marin Transit Identity. One way to
accomplish this would be with a sign, such as the rough concept shown
at the right, which uses the Marin Transit brand dominantly, but also
communicates the brands of the relevant service providers for local
routes. Note: The actual design of the sign and the route decals would
need to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and
local signage standards.
Rough concept only
For regional stops, this sign would be in addition to the existing Golden
Gate bus stop sign. Adding Marin Transit signage to local and regional
stops would be a cost born by Marin Transit. (As an alternative, the two
agencies could work together to create co-branded signage that clearly
communicates the roles of Golden Gate and Marin Transit. This will be a
topic for future discussion and negotiation between Marin Transit and
GGT.)
Passenger Guides and Promotional Materials

The Marin Transit identity should be dominant in all ads, promotional
materials and passenger literature related specifically to local transit
services. It should also be included in regional materials which address
Marin County services (e.g. the GGT schedule book.)

Passenger Information Strategies
Develop and introduce a Marin County Transit Guide.
There are two distinct transit markets in Marin County: Individuals

wishing to travel regionally to San Francisco or Sonoma County and
individuals wishing to travel strictly within Marin County. While there is
some crossover between these two groups, they have distinctly different
needs.
For the potential rider simply wishing to make a trip within Marin County,
the Golden Gate Schedule Book can be quite intimidating. The only map
is the system map at the back of the guide. It includes a great deal of
information about both regional and local services in a very compact
(hence difficult to read) format. Figuring out which local route or routes
connect two points in Marin County is a challenge. Even if one knows
which route is relevant, the schedules do little to inform the novice user
about how to use the service. The schedules include only a few major
bus stops as time points, and there are no individual route maps to
indicate the location of additional stops.
A Separate Local Transit Guide

While the schedule book is quite adequate for experienced riders, it is
not a very effective sales tool for potential new users. In fact, it likely
contributes to the perception that Marin County transit services are
difficult to understand and use. It is recommended that the current GGT
guide be split into two companion pieces: a GGT commuter guide and a
local Marin Transit guide. The local Marin Transit guide should be
designed with the needs of novice transit users in mind. Following are
recommendations for content and format of the local Marin Transit guide.
Content of Guide
The Marin County Transit Guide would include complete, easy to use
information about all local transit services (including local segments of
Routes 10, 40, 42, 70, and 80), in a bilingual format. It would include the
following elements:
Easier to read, full color system map showing all local/regular

services within Marin County. The guide would include:
12 Local Routes
3 Shuttle Routes
Section of Routes 70 and 80 serving the Hwy 101 Corridor
West Marin Routes
Supplemental School Services

The guide would not include commuter routes.
While the guide would include route maps and
schedules for the supplemental services which
operate only on school days, it is recommended
that these not be shown on the system map.
Instead, there will be a separate map for
supplemental school service routes.
Individual route maps for each local route,

showing the locations of bus stops and key
destinations along the route. These maps will
include detail insets showing how to access key bus stops, such as
the freeway stops.
Schedules would be provided for each route (side by side with the
route map). These schedules will be designed to be easy to read
and use in conjunction with the route maps. At the right is an
example of such a route map/schedule display.
How to Ride information including details about fares, passes,

transfers, customer service, etc. This information would be provided
in both English and Spanish.
Cross promotion of other transit services available in Marin County

(commuter routes, supplemental routes, paratransit) with directions
regarding where to access detailed information about these services.
Format for Guide

The recommended format for the local guide is a booklet with fold-out or
inserted system map. This format would be very similar to the GGT
schedule book but with a more limited scope. It would include the local
route maps, schedules, and How to Ride information bound in a booklet
of a size that can be easily distributed in brochure racks, as a companion
to the commuter guide. It will be accompanied by a larger sized color
system overview map that could be a fold-out or a separate folded piece
inserted into the booklet.
While printing and distributing two companion booklets will be somewhat

more costly than the current single schedule book, it will not be
duplicative, as only the regular regional routes (10, 40, 42, 70, and 80)
would need to be included in both guides. This will allow each guide to
be more compact and less intimidating. The two guides can be designed
and co-branded such that they continue to convey the message that
these services provide seamless connections within Marin County. An
example of such an approach is shown at the right.

Note: Having a single guide for all local Marin Transit services does not
preclude having individual route guides for targeted services (West Marin
Stagecoach, Shuttle Routes, and Supplemental Services) that can be
used for localized promotional efforts. However, the overall guide would
be the primary information tool distributed, in conjunction with the
commuter guide, throughout the service area.
Enhance bus stop signage and information
In addition to being an opportunity for branding, bus stops are an

important channel for providing passengers with route and schedule
information. Information at the bus stops was one of the lowest rated
service aspects in the 2005 on-board survey. In addition, it was a
significant cause of complaint in the recent focus groups.
Most bus stops are currently signed with the basic Golden Gate Transit
sign shown at the right which includes only a logo and the word BUS.
Many of the bus stops also include a custom sign showing which routes
serve that stop. However, these signs include neither hours of service
nor a schedule.
Riders would like to know not only what routes serve a stop, but during
what hours and on what schedule. There are a number of ways to
provide this information.
Standard metal sign with decals for each route serving the specific
stop.
Under Branding this plan discussed the addition of Marin Transit
signs to local and shared stops. At a minimum, these signs would
include the logo, phone number, and web address. In addition, they
can be designed like the concept sign shown on page 7 to include
decals for each route serving the stop. The decal can include the
route number plus additional information such as destination, days
and hours of service, and frequency (if possible). A sample of such
a sign is shown at the right. The decals are generally applied when
the signs are installed at each stop and can be removed or covered
over when changes are made without changing the entire sign. Note
that the route numbers in this sample are quite large, in compliance
with ADA requirements.
Changeable information panel (such as currently used by GGT) but

with a higher level of information.
The picture above shows the current information panels found at
many GGT stops, which shows the route number and name for
routes serving the stop. This information could be enhanced with a
list of the times that each route serves the specific stop. An example
of such an approach is shown on the next page.

Larger information panel with complete schedules.
By using larger information panels, or multiple panels, at stops
served by multiple routes, Marin Transit could include the complete
directional schedule for each route serving a key stop. This
approach requires less production time (since standard schedules
can be sized and used rather than having to create a custom panel
for each stop). However, it is not as easy for the waiting passenger
to reference, as the rider must determine where their stop is in
relation to the time points on the schedule.
Any type of signage which includes actual schedule information (highly

desired by passengers) would need to be created and replaced when
schedule changes are made. Schedule changes are made up to four
times per year. For this reason, Marin Transit may wish to limit this
strategy to only those stops with the highest level of boarding activity.
Transfer Center Displays and Real Time Information

The Transfer Centers are particularly important locations for providing
route and schedule information since they are the primary or interim
boarding points for a large segment of the ridership. The San Rafael
Transit Center and San Anselmo Transit Hub are the only of the transit
centers in Marin County that provide posted schedule information. Marin
Transit staff are currently working on a capital project at the Marin City
Transit Hub that will include signage and schedule display
improvements.
Even if schedule information cannot be provided at other bus stops, it

should, at a minimum, be provided at all of the transfer centers. In
addition to the need for basic schedule information, the transit centers
would also benefit from:
A posted system map display to allow riders to see where they are in
relation to the overall Marin Transit system.
Many bus shelters can be equipped with locking information panels
in the back which allow for such displays.
Real time bus arrival information.

Golden Gate Transit is currently working to install automatic vehicle
locator technology (AVL) on its fleet. Once AVL is fully implemented,
the transit centers will be key locations for real time information
displays. Real time information significantly increases the
passengers confidence with using transit. Passengers and potential
passengers have seen real time displays in other Bay Area cities and
specifically asked for these in focus groups.

Wayfinding Signage for Freeway Stops
The freeway bus stops are a particular challenge, as described in the
market assessment. Simply finding these stops can be difficult for novice
riders. Golden Gate Transit has expressed willingness to work with
Marin Transit to improve wayfinding signage though has no funds
budgeted for this activity. Three strategies described below would
enhance the usability of these stops.
Wayfinding signs to direct passengers to the stops, which are often

invisible and may even look like non-pedestrian areas. The
wayfinding signs should specifically say Hwy 101 Bus Stop and be
easily visible from major streets near the access point.
Destination identifiers on the freeway bus shelters. When you are on

the freeway buses, it is easy to lose track of where you are and one
freeway shelter looks very much like another. Signs on the front of
the shelters should clearly identify each stop using the names used
in the passenger guide (e.g. Terra Linda Bus Pad) - like train station
signs.
Detailed maps in passenger guides showing passengers how to

access the specific freeway stops.
Enhance Marin Transit website to be the source for transit

travel info within Marin County
The internet is an increasingly important source of information for

transit users. Most of the potential riders and many of the riders
who participated in the focus groups said they have used or tried to
use the web to get transit information.
Both Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit maintain websites

which provide passenger information about Marin County transit
services. Both of the sites are quite functional and provide access
to a great deal of information. Neither of them is a particularly
strong tool for giving potential riders quick easy access to information
that will encourage them to try transit.
The Marin Transit website should be redesigned with the Marin County
transit user as the primary target audience. It should be designed to
provide the information users are most likely looking for (how to get
where I am going) right up front with a minimum of searching. The
information should be provided in formats appropriate for both current

and new users. Specific strategies for achieving this include the
following:
Trip Planner.
The easiest way for those unfamiliar with the transit system
to get transit information is with an on-line trip planneror
as one focus group participant referred to it, a trip
optimizer. The 511 trip planner does not work well for trips
on Marin Transit services. Therefore a customized software
solution or participation in Google Transit may be better
options. The Trip Planner window should be included right
on the home page for easy access, such as is illustrated in
the sample website at the right.
Interactive Map. www.vta.org

Another effective tool for passengers is an interactive system map
that can help riders determine which route or routes serve their origin
and destination, and then provide easy access to those schedules
with a single click. Examples of interactive maps can be found at
www.e-tran.org or www.vta.org .
Organize information by destination, not

provider.
Currently information on the Marin Transit
Website is organized by provider (Golden Gate,
West Marin Stage, Shuttle Routes). However,
this format is not very useful for the passenger.
Rather, information should be organized by
destinatione.g. travel within eastern Marin
County, travel to/from West Marin, regional
travel to/from San Francisco or Sonoma County.
Quick access drop down menus should allow
riders to access the information they need
quickly.
www.e-tran.org
Menu driven quick access to all routes and schedules.
The menus should be expanded to provide quick access to key
information for regular users. For example, a drop down menu could
take you to the schedule for specific Golden Gate routes rather than
having to go thru the main schedule page.
The menus should also allow for easy access to information about
fares, passes, transfers, and other How to Ride topics.
Easy access to commuter route information.

If customers are looking for regional route information, they should
be linked to the Golden Gate website. However, they should not be
sent directly to the Transit Schedules Home Page, which can be

quite confusing. Rather, they should be given the choice of choosing
a commuter route from a drop down menu, then go directly to that
schedule on GGTs website. Alternately, they should be able to
choose from a list of commuter routes with descriptions, and then be
linked directly to that schedule. As another option, they could be
linked to an interactive commuter route map, which might be a
component of the Golden Gate Transit website.
Multi-lingual Information.
Forty percent of Marin County local transit users are
Hispanic. The website should provide key information
in Spanish, and possibly in other target languages.
Increasingly, even low-income populations have internet
access, either at home, work, school, or the library. A
recent survey of riders in Central Contra Costa County
found that 90% of riders used the internet.
The Capital Metro website shown at the right includes

links, as part of its primary tool bar, for Spanish,
Vietnamese, and Chinese. Clicking on these links takes the viewer www.capmetro.org
to a page of basic information in the designated language. This
page includes links to additional pages in the target
language.
Real Time Information on the Website

Once AVL is fully functional, the website is a natural way to
make the real time schedule information available to riders.
This generally involves assigning a bus stop number to each
stop which can be easily referenced to secure next bus
arrival information. A good example of this can be found on
the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District website, shown
at right.
Rider Registration
The internet provides an excellent tool for building on the
relationship that transit has with its riders. Many transit
agency websites allow riders to register, thus signing up for
transit updates and special offers. Some sites allow the rider to http://www.cumtd.com/stopwatch
include information about the route and trip they use so that they
can be notified (via text message) if there is a delay or other
disruption of service.
Other Functions
Other functions that can be built into the website include: opportunity
for customer questions and comments via e-mail, fare media sales,
easy download of all passenger information materials as PDFs, how-

to video clips (such as how to load a bicycle), or even a customer
blog for riders to share information with each other.
Once the enhanced website is complete, Marin Transit should work to

get transit links (using the new Marin Transit logo) on the websites of
area organizations including social service agencies, schools, colleges,
and businesses.
Ensure that high quality trip planning assistance by telephone is

available for all local transit services.
Many potential transit users still turn to the telephone for trip planning
assistance when they make the decision to try transit. Telephone
information for each of Marin Transits services is currently provided by
the service operator, with mixed results. While Golden Gate Transit
provides dedicated telephone information personnel who can help
potential riders with trip planning, MV Transportation and Marin Airporter
do not. It would be far preferable, from a promotion and passenger
convenience standpoint, to have a single phone number that can be
used to access information about all Marin Transit services. The number
can then be included consistently on bus stops, in transit guides and in
promotional ads and materials. There are a number of ways this might
be accomplished:
Have the West Marin Stagecoach and Shuttle services added to the
511 system, such that people selecting these options would be
forwarded to the providers.
Contract with Golden Gate to provide schedule and route information
for these routes via their telephone information function which
supports all other Marin Routes (in Phoenix, AZ for example, Valley
Metro operates a valley-wide telephone information center, even
though services are provided by a number of operators.)
Have a dedicated Marin Transit phone number which gives the caller
three options (e.g. For information about Shuttle Routes 221, 233
and 259 press 1, for information about West Marin Routes press 2,
for information about all other bus routes in Marin County press 3).
The caller would be automatically transferred to the appropriate
provider call center.
A final but significantly more costly option would be to station
customer service staff at the San Rafael Transit Center to assist
passengers with information, sell tickets, and possibly take over the
telephone information function for the non-GGT services.

Fare Media
Implement additional fare media options to address the needs of
local riders.
Most transit riders in Marin County pay their fare in cash, despite the fact
that they use the system intensively, often several times a day. The
market assessment found that riders are not satisfied with the current
fare options. They do not like the fact that the Marin Local tickets expire,
they distrust the Translink system which requires you to tag when leaving
the bus in order to avoid being overcharged on regional routes, and they
feel that a transfer should be good on any bus for a set period of time (as
it is in many systems).
While the current fare media have the potential to effectively meet the During the stakeholder interviews
needs of riders by choice, they are not well suited for the transit for this project the concept of low
dependent population which primarily uses the local services. In pursuit cost or free fares for low income
was brought up by social service
of its goal of better serving the transit dependent population, Marin
providers. Specifically the
Transit could provide additional fare options targeted to the needs and suggestions included:
travel characteristics of local riders. Three new fare options are Free fixed route rides for
described below. These options will be attractive to current users and persons who are ADA
encourage increased ridership frequency and retention. eligible.
Reduced cost monthly pass
for persons on public
Revised Transfer Policy - Two-hour ticket assistance which requires a
The current flat fare policy of $2.00 with transfers good only for one- means test. (Passes such
way travel discourages riders from making very short trips by transit, as this are offered in some
or from making stops along the route of a trip (as you would in a car). communities including
Tucson and Calgary.)
One strategy for addressing this is to change the transfer policy such
Volume sale of discounted
that the $2.00 fare buys the customer a two-hour ticket which is bus tickets to social service
good on any local bus. This will facilitate both transfers and short agencies.
round trips, and will increase satisfaction among current users.
Day Pass
Many transit agencies have had excellent success with an unlimited
ride Day Pass. This type of pass is purchased from the farebox and
allows unlimited boarding throughout the day it is purchased. Day
passes can help to achieve the objectives of increasing ridership
frequency, providing a discount to intensive transit users (who
generally cannot afford longer term fare media), and reducing
transfer conflicts. They are typically implemented and priced in one
of two ways:
Day Pass available in addition to free transfers

In this option, the Day Pass is simply a new fare media available
in addition to free transfers. It is generally priced at about 2.5 to
3 times the base fare. This is the option recommended for Marin

Transit. A price of $5.00 would make the pass easy to promote
and pay for.
Day Pass available in lieu of free transfers

In this option, the Day Pass takes the place of transfers which
are no longer issued. The Day Pass is priced at 2 to 2.5 times
the base fare. Anyone using more than one bus to complete
their trip must buy the Day Pass to avoid paying a second fare.
This is disadvantageous for people making one-way trips.
Day Passes
can be
While there are low-tech solutions, such as punch passes, most manual or
systems that utilize day passes have them issued by the farebox. electronic
They are very much like a farebox issued transfer, but include the
words day pass along with the date.
Weekly or Monthly Pass

Another fare option for consideration is a weekly or monthly unlimited
ride pass for local Marin Transit services. Given the demographics
of the ridership, a weekly or 7-day pass is likely to be most viable as
it will coincide with the pay period for lower income workers.
Participants in the focus groups liked the idea of a monthly pass,
until they were made aware that it would likely cost $70-80. This
price would put it out of reach for many intensive users. A 7-day
pass priced at $20 would be affordable for a much larger number of
riders.
7-day passes can be sold through outlets, just as the current ticket
books are. To be reasonably easy to implement, the passes must be
activated at the first use either electronically by the farebox or by
being punched by the bus operator. This eliminates the need to print
different passes for each week. It also allows the pass to be good
for seven days rather than for a calendar week, ensuring that the
purchaser gets full value no matter what day they buy the pass.
Introduction of any of these fare options will require the assistance of

Golden Gate Transit in several ways:
Provision of fare equipment that can issue and accept the day pass
and/or activate the weekly pass.
Golden Gate Transit is currently equipping its vehicles with
fareboxes with magnetic strip readers that will allow for the
introduction of new types of fare media. Marin Transit also plans to
equip its Shuttle and West Marin Stagecoach vehicles with
comparable fareboxes.
A revenue-sharing agreement

If local Marin fare media are to be accepted on the local portions of
the Regional Routes 10, 40, 42, 70, and 80, as would be desirable,
the two agencies must establish a revenue-sharing policy. Golden
Gate Regional Commute Routes could also be included in such a
policy.
Driver training to implement the revised policies.
If new fare media are introduced, they should be marketed aggressively

to existing riders using a combination of bi-lingual communication
methods including:
On-board transit advertising signs and flyers
Posters at the San Rafael Transit Center and other transfer centers if
possible
Ads in the Marin Transit Local Guide
The key message of these promotions should be that the new fare media
make using Marin Transit services easier and more affordable. The
promotions will need to clearly communicate where to buy and how to
use the new passes.

Customer Experience
Further enhance the overall customer experience with bus stop
improvements.
Attracting and retaining transit customers is the result of providing a

positive customer experience from start to finish. Some aspects of the
customer experience on Marin Transits services are already quite
positive particularly the quality and cleanliness of vehicles and the
helpfulness of the drivers. The previous strategies have addressed
enhancing the experience of getting information and paying the fare.
One final aspect of the customer experience that needs to be addressed

is the quality of the boarding locations. Some boarding locations are
acceptable (such as San Anselmo Hub and San Rafael Transit Center),
in that they are well marked, offer shelter, seating, trash receptacles and
a sense of security. However, many boarding locations offer none or few
of these features. Focus group participants noted that seeing riders
waiting along the road at stops with few or no amenities does not
encourage them to consider using transit.
While bus stop improvements and maintenance are beyond the scope of
a communications plan, they certainly impact the marketability of the
system. In addition to implementation of the previous bus stop
information and signage strategies, bus stops could be improved in the
following ways.
Branding, Identification, Appearance.

Bus stops are as much a part of a transit systems brand as the
vehicles themselves. They communicate the availability of transit
service in a specific corridor and demonstrate the quality of that
service. Bus stops, like buses, need to have a consistent look that
clearly defines them as part of the Marin Transit system.
Comfort and Amenities.

The amenities provided at bus stops (shelters, seating, trash
receptacles) both enhance the quality of the experience for existing
customers and communicate a positive message to potential users
who see the stops every day as they travel through a corridor.
Cleanliness and Maintenance.

Just as a dirty bus sends a poor quality message, so does a dirty or
poorly maintained bus stop.
A bus stop inventory can be used to identify priority stops as the focus
for improvement efforts. Marin Transit is currently working with local

jurisdictions to develop a policy with regards to local bus stops. This
policy will identify standards for amenities at stops and could result in an
agreement that Marin Transit contract for bus stop and shelter
maintenance.

PRIORITY 2: AWARENESS AND IMAGE BUILDING
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
This section outlines advertising and public relations strategies to build
broader awareness for Marin Transit, while positioning local transit
services as user friendly. These are promotional strategies that can be
implemented with limited internal staff, utilizing outside resources for
graphic design, media placement, etc.
Advertising
Implement a media advertising campaign to introduce Marin
Transit as an easy to use option for local travel.
Once the strategies described in Priority 1 are in place, an introductory

advertising campaign should be implemented to build awareness for
Marin Transit among the general population and to encourage trial
ridership, particularly in corridors with convenient local service.
Marin County residents are very aware of the issues of traffic congestion,
air pollution and high fuel costs.the reasons to use transit. They
simply dont see local transit services as a solution, because they believe
these services are too difficult to understand and use.
Therefore the overall theme of this campaign should be that using transit
for local trips in Marin County is not as difficult or confusing as most Marin TransitIts
people think. This message should be fulfilled by: Easier Than You Think
Providing targeted information to residents in corridors with service
levels likely to be attractive to potential riders.
Steering people to the new, easier to use passenger information
tools developed in Phase 1, including the Marin Transit Guide and
Website.
Offering a trial ride incentive to encourage potential riders to
experience Marin Transit.
Each effort would generally promote a specific route or set of routes.
In some cases this would be a GGT-operated route, while in others it
might be a shuttle route.
Advertising Media
The campaign should use a combination of advertising media, with an
emphasis on local media that allow targeted messages to be delivered to
residents in specific travel corridors. The media which provide this type
of targeting include:

Local community newspapers
There are local community newspapers for most of the cities in Marin
County. These include.
Marin Scope Newspapers (Ross Valley Reporter, Twin Cities
Times, Marinscope, Mill Valley Herald, San Rafael News Pointer)
Pt. Reyes Light
West Marin Citizen
Novato Advance
Direct Mail
Direct mailings can deliver very localized information, including route
maps and schedules, to the residents of a specific corridor. It can
also include incentives such as free ride passes. Direct mail lists can
be customized based not only on geography, but on age or other
demographic factors, allowing Marin Transit to, for example, mail to
homes with working age adults or senior citizens.
Transit shelters
Transit shelters along key travel corridors are an excellent, high
visibility channel for communicating with commuters and others who
travel regularly within a given corridor. For example, the bus shelters
along Red Hill between San Anselmo and San Rafael would be an
ideal medium for promoting the ease of traveling by bus between
San Anselmo and downtown San Rafael.
In addition to these very localized media, if resources allow, Marin

Transit may want to use broader, county-wide media to communicate the
overall awareness message and direct potential riders to the new
passenger information tools. For this purpose, potential media include:
Marin Independent Journal and San Francisco Chronicle (zoned)

These daily newspapers provide county-wide newspaper coverage.
La Voz
This Spanish language newspaper can be used to reach the
Hispanic Community countywide.
Bus Sides Advertising
If dedicated buses are committed to Marin County local services,
self-advertising on the sides of these buses could be an excellent,
high visibility medium for the awareness campaign.
Cable TV Advertising
Cable TV is the most viable broadcast media alternative for Marin
County. (Buying broadcast radio or television will be cost prohibitive
as most stations come from the Bay Area, with Bay Area rates.) If
budget allows, this would be an effective channel for reaching
populations who may not be newspaper readers (younger people
and minorities).

Movie Theater Advertising
Another option for reaching geographically targeted
populations is with theater advertising. Current technology Ad Concept for Community
allows theater slides to be animated or even full video with Newspaper
sound. like a TV commercial.
Headline:
Campaign Message San Anselmo to San Rafael: 48
As noted above, the theme of the campaign might be Marin Times Each Day
TransitIts easier than you think. Ads would provide specific
information to show riders how using transit locally might be Primary Graphic:
convenient for their particularly purposes. Photograph of rider relaxing in a
high-backed bus seat, reading the
To the right is a potential concept for a newspaper ad that would newspaper
run in a locally targeted publication (e.g. the Ross Valley
Reporter). Copy Points:
Getting from San Anselmo to
Ads in county-wide publications would focus on broader San Rafael is easy with direct,
messages, but with the same theme of ease of use. For frequent bus service that takes
example countywide topics might include: only 13 minutes.
The on-line Trip Optimizer which makes planning your No need to worry about traffic,
transit trip simple. parking or high gas prices
The fast, direct, frequent service along Highway 101. Service from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The ease of getting to San Rafael from virtually anywhere in On-line Automated Trip Planning
the county, and the convenience of not having to find a is available or just call for
parking place once you do. personal trip planning
assistance
If desired, it would be easy to integrate promotion of regional New Marin County Transit Guide
and commuter services into this campaign. While the specifics
of the messages would be different (e.g. San Anselmo to San Secondary Graphic:
Francisco, X times per day), the overall theme of ease and Small image of Golden Gate Bus
convenience would be consistent. Ads could be jointly with appropriate headsign.
sponsored and co-branded by Golden Gate Transit and Marin
Transit. Marin Transit (logo)
Its easier than you think.
Campaign Timing
This campaign should be implemented once the branding and marintransit.org
passenger information strategies described in Phase 1 are in
place, as they will be an important part of the message. Once
initiated, this campaign can be rolled out in stages. For
example, on-going use of county wide media might be combined with a
local focus on one community each quarter.

Public Relations
Along with paid media advertising, maximization of earned media can
help to build awareness for the new Marin Transit. Marin Transit should
initiate an aggressive public relations effort to enhance public transits
visibility within Marin County. This effort can be implemented in house or
with the assistance of a public relations consultant.
Develop a proactive news release calendar.
Earned media or news coverage for public transit can be increased by

making sure that the news media are provided with a regular stream of
information about transit, its benefits and its progress. This requires
maintaining a list of local media contacts and creating and implementing
a systematic news release calendar.
News Release Calendar

The calendar should identify topics for news releases during the coming
3-6 months and be updated monthly to reflect changes and new story
ideas. Some news release topics will be relevant for countywide
distribution; others may be of more localized interest. Possible news
release topics would include:
Putting new vehicles into service, especially alternative fuel vehicles
which increase transits environmental benefits.
Implementation of amenity enhancements at local bus stops or
transfer centers.
Introduction of a new route or service.
Significant changes in service aimed at better meeting the needs of
residents.
Special event service.
Ridership growth milestones.
Introduction of the new Marin Transit Guide and/or website which will
make it easier for County residents to use transit.
Introduction of new fare media that make transit even more cost
competitive with $3.50 per gallon gas.
Public hearings and meetings.
Partnership efforts with other community organizations.
Free ride promotions.
Tie-ins to national events such as Try Transit Day or Earth Day.
News releases should be prepared and issued in a timely manner to

media in the relevant communities. When appropriate, photographs can
be included with news releases to print media.

Media Contacts
In order to get your news release into print or on the air, you must know
who to distribute them to. This means creating a news media list which
includes local newspapers, radio stations and TV stations (if any of the
Bay Area stations provide news coverage in Marin County.) Your media
addresses should include, whenever possible, the name of the person
you want to read your release. For community publications, this is likely
to be the news editor. For publications such as the Marin Independent
Journal or San Francisco Chronicle, there may be a specific reporter who
is responsible for transit news. Personnel change frequently so the list
will need to be updated on a regular basis.
Most news releases these days are distributed by fax or e-mail. Ask
each media which is the best way to contact them and make sure you
have the correct e-mail address or fax number. E-mail distribution allows
for the easy inclusion of digital photos relevant to the topic.
Follow-up
Polite follow-up calls to ensure that a release was received, see if it went
to the right person and offer answers to any questions can be effective in
calling attention to your story.
It is important to note that not every release will be printed or aired.

However, it is essential to provide the media with an on-going stream of
timely and interesting information if maximum coverage is to be
garnered.
Team-up
A strategy for increasing Marin Transits news value is to join forces with
other organizations that are promoting environmentally friendly travel.
By collaborating with bicycle and pedestrian advocates, Marin Transit
may be able to raise the overall visibility and interest in non-auto travel.
There are a number of projects in the works, such as the California Park
Hill tunnel, which will generate significant media coverage.
In addition, many of these organizations publish and distribute their own

newsletters (either hard copy or electronic). They can disseminate
information about Marin Transit to their own constituents, who are likely
already open to the concept of public transportation.

PRIORITY 3: TARGETED RIDERSHIP STRATEGIES
COMMUNITY BASED MARKETING PROGRAMS
This third set of strategies requires a much higher level of staff time
commitment than those discussed in Phases 1 and 2. These are
strategies that rely on community partnerships and outreach efforts to
achieve the objectives of increasing visibility among, educating and
encouraging trial ridership by key target populations. This type of
community-based marketing has a number of advantages.
Opportunity to target messages and appeals very specifically.

High information content possible can include the details
necessary to generate trial ridership.
Low-cost delivery channels.
Opportunity to build community partnerships that enhance service
development, marketing, and public relations efforts.
Chance for direct feedback from stakeholders.
These types of programs are highly effective and low cost, but they are
staff time-intensive. Therefore most of these strategies will need to wait
until Marin Transit has additional staff to commit to this effort. This
section includes a wide variety of recommendations focusing on different
target segments. Even with added staff, it will not be possible to
implement them all at once. Rather, staff may wish to select a few
priority programs for early implementation and then prioritize the others
for implementation as staff time and resources allow. Programs you may
wish to consider for earliest implementation include the Gatekeeper
Communications Program and West Marin Stagecoach strategies.
The specific program strategies have been organized into four sets
based on the transit services they promote:
All Service: Gatekeeper Relationships and Communications
Local and Shuttle Route Ridership
West Marin Stagecoach Ridership
Route Specific Marketing for New or Targeted Services

Gatekeeper Relationships and Communications
Establish Gatekeeper Communication Program
Social service agencies, schools, medical facilities, senior centers, and

other community organizations are often important sources of
transportation information for their clients, students, and members. Staff Gatekeeper Starter
members at these organizations are often charged with identifying List
transportation options for getting people to classes or appointments. In DHHS-Aging
this role, they are gatekeepers between public transit and many user DHHS-Public
groups including low-income families, persons with disabilities, seniors Assistance
and students. DHHS-Employment
& Training
Interviews with several of these gatekeepers indicated that their Homeward Bound
familiarity with the transit services available in Marin County is limited. Novato Human
Most described the system as confusing and admitted they could not Needs Center
plan a transit trip for a client. Educating these gatekeepers about the Marin Community
services available and about trip planning aids (particularly if an effective Clinics
trip planner is introduced on the website) will enhance their ability to Coastal Health
sell transit to their constituents. Alliance
Canal Welcome
Two strategies for educating the gatekeepers are recommended. These Center
efforts may become part of the responsibility of the mobility manager Canal Alliance
position Marin Transit is planning to create. Marin Center for
Independent Living
Conduct outreach presentations to major social service agencies at Indoor Sports Club
least once a year. Marin Housing
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) managers Authority
indicated that they would welcome a briefing of their staff at the new
location in the Canal area. Many other agencies and organizations
are open to similar meetings to better inform their staff about transit
services. Such presentations should be made to front line staff at
agencies that work with low-income families, seniors, persons with
disabilities, and youth.
Produce and distribute a printed or electronic newsletter (3-4 issues

per year) providing updated information about transit services.
The newsletter will maintain the channel of communication initiated
with the annual outreach presentations. It should address:
Changes or enhancements to transit and paratransit services.
Resources for getting assistance with trip planning.
New programs or fare media, etc. of interest to their clients.
Articles highlighting key destinations such as medical facilities.
Mini-posters communicating transit changes or highlighting
services. These should be suitable for copying and posting on
agency bulletin boards or handing out as fliers to agency clients.

This strategy will require the development of a mailing or e-mailing
list that can be added to as new contacts are made.
Establish Permanent Transit Information Displays
One strategy that is relevant to all of these target groups is the

placement of permanent transit information displays at high traffic
locations and in lobbies. A number of stakeholders interviewed
expressed a willingness to have such displays in their lobbies.
Displays can be created using standard display fixtures available from

manufacturers such as:
www.displays2go.com
www.display-world.com
Both floor standing and wall mounted models are readily available.
The permanent display poster can be a customized version of the Marin

Transit system map or other graphics created in the development of the
local transit guide. Digital printing allows small quantities of such large Transit Info Display from
format posters to be created economically. Summit County
ColoradoPrefab units
customized with digitally
The pockets below the sign will allow for easy, high-visibility distribution printed system map.
of the local transit guide.
Locations to target for the installation of such displays would be those

that enjoy a high level of traffic among target populations. For example:
DHHS Lobbies
Pickleweed Community Center in the Canal and other Community
Centers
Senior Centers in the various communities
Marin Community Clinics (Novato, San Rafael, and Greenbrae)
College of Marin

Local and Shuttle Route Ridership
This set of targeted strategies addresses marketing the Marin Transit
local system to various market segments. Communications under these
strategies would focus on the local service provided by Golden Gate
Transit and the Shuttle Routes. Depending on the audience, West Marin
services would sometimes be included.
Target commuters who have convenient service
County workers and employees working in downtown San Rafael have

specific incentives to use transit. Targeted efforts can help to
encourage trial ridership based on those advantages. Target: County
Employees
Direct marketing to County employees
County employees enjoy a $4 per day transit subsidy. In essence they Partner/Gatekeeper:
have free transit service within Marin County. Clearly the County is County Human Resources
interested in encouraging transit use and should be willing partners in
promotional efforts to build ridership. Primary Medium: Interoffice
Direct Mail
The primary recommended strategy is to utilize inter-office direct mail to
reach County employees who live in Marin County with highly targeted Key Messages:
information. This could be supported by e-mail notices, bulletin board $4/day Subsidy
posters, and outreach efforts. Reduced gas costs,
parking hassles
Interoffice Direct Mailer. The direct mailer should be designed to Targeted route/schedule
include the following information and appeals. info
Reminder that County Employees ride transit free with their Environmental benefits
$4 per day subsidy. This free ride allows commuters to avoid
the costs of driving and the hassles of parking around the
government center.
Simple map showing how to get from various communities in the
county to the county offices on Marin Transit.
Invitation to use the Trip Planner for a detailed route from
their home to their office.
If possible, Direct Mailers should be distributed to employees who
live in a Marin County zip code served by transit and work in a
county facility that is on a bus route. This will require the
assistance of County Human Resources to tailor the distribution.
However, this approach will reduce wasted distribution and
ensure that the employees who receive the mailers will find them Sample Employee Direct Mailer
Used by Southern California
relevant. SystemIncluded system map,
schedule and free ride tickets
Posters and Outreach. The direct mail campaign could be
accompanied by support efforts including:

Posters in employee break rooms that highlight the $4 subsidy
and tell employees to look for details in their office mail.
Outreach efforts, such as having an information table at a high
traffic location (employee break room or lobby) at major county
facilities.
E-mail Notices. The County can also be asked to periodically e-mail

notices to employees reminding them about the transit subsidy and
directing them to www.marintransit.org for easy access to transit
information.
Note that the County incentive is a pilot one-year program. Therefore,

this effort may need to be implemented early in the marketing effort to
ensure continuation of the incentive. Target: Downtown San
Rafael Workers
Targeted marketing to workers in downtown San Rafael
Downtown San Rafael is the daily destination for a large number of
Partner/Gatekeeper:
employees who work in stores, restaurants and other businesses.
Downtown Employers
Those within walking distance of the San Rafael Transit Center have
access to direct bus service from virtually anywhere in the County.
Primary Medium: Handout
Hence they are natural candidates for transit use. Marin Transit can
and Posters
offer employees the advantage of affordable transportation, while
benefiting businesses by freeing up parking spaces.
Key Messages:
Direct transit service from
Target marketing to these workers would require the participation of
throughout county
the downtown businesses. The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce
Economy save on gas
could be a natural ally in such a project, and could help to recruit the
Convenience - no need to
participation of individual businesses. (The consultant has not talked
look for parking
with the Chamber about this recommendation.)
Reduce your carbon
footprint
This program would be similar to the County Employees program
described above, in that the primary media would be targeted
handouts and posters. The handout would be a commuter kit
showing how to commute by transit from throughout the county to
Downtown San Rafael using Marin Transits network of routes. The
primary appeals would be economy (avoiding the high cost of gas) and
the convenience of not having to find parking. Reducing your carbon
footprint might be a secondary appeal, to capitalize on the high level of
environmental awareness among the Marin County population and
particularly among the young adults who fill many of the restaurant and
retail jobs in downtown San Rafael.
If reducing traffic and parking congestion in the downtown area is

important to employers, some may be willing to subsidize transit passes
or tickets for their employees. Further discussion with downtown
employers will be needed to evaluate this possibility.

Increase Communication with the Hispanic Community
Latinos are an important ridership segment for Marin Transit. In the

on-board survey conducted during development of the SRTP, 40% of Target: Hispanic
all riders completed the questionnaire in Spanish. The Canal area Population
with has 15,000 residents, 70% of whom are Hispanic, generates the
highest transit usage in the County. Partner/Gatekeeper:
Social Service Agencies
Spanish Language Information Community Centers
A significant component of marketing to the Hispanic community is ESL Program
making Spanish language information available in print, by telephone, Apartment Complexes
and on the internet. These strategies have been addressed in
previous sections. Primary Medium: Spanish
Language Brochures and
Also, the advertising campaign discussed in Phase 2 and on-board Posters, Outreach
promotional efforts (e.g. posters to promote the new Day Pass if Presentations
implemented) should include bilingual components.
Key Messages:
Gatekeeper Outreach How to use transit
Beyond Spanish language information, outreach to the Hispanic services
community can be enhanced by establishing relationships with Availability of information
gatekeepers who work with Latinos. These include: in Spanish
Pickleweed Community Center Location specific route
Canal Alliance and schedule info
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
ESL Program at College of Marin
Marin Literacy Program (ESL)
Discussions with these stakeholders are likely to yield opportunities for:

Outreach presentations at classes or meetings sponsored by these
groups.
Lobby displays (discussed on page 28) or passenger guide
distribution at the Canal Welcome Center, Pickleweed, and Canal
Alliance.
Opportunities for articles in organization newsletters (e.g. Canal
Alliance).
Apartment Complex Targeting

The Canal area includes a large number of apartment complexes that
provide another focal point for communications with residents. Ways of
using the apartment complexes as a resource include:
Bilingual posters on bulletin boards, including in the laundry rooms
and next to mailboxes.

Schedule holders and/or transit information displays in complex
offices.
Asking the complex managers to provide transit information to all
new residents when they move in.
These types of marketing efforts can be used with apartment complexes

throughout the county. It is referenced here because the greatest
concentration of very large complexes is in the Canal area, which has a
heavily Hispanic population.
Educate Social Service Agencies that Work with Low Income

Families and Workers
While Marin Countys population is highly affluent, about 8.5% of the

population lives below the poverty level. Many of these individuals are Target: Low Income
concentrated in the Canal district and around Marin City. While low- Families
income families use transit heavily, they do not do so universally. There
is likely room to increase ridership even among groups commonly Partner/Gatekeeper:
considered transit dependent. DHHS
Most low-income families receive some kind of support through the Primary Medium: Trip
Department of Health and Human Services programs, which include Planning Assistance, Fare
CalWorks, Employment Services, MediCal, food stamps and general Media
assistance. Case workers are often responsible for helping their clients
find transportation to aid appointments, training programs, medical Key Messages:
appointments, and job search. DHHS pays transit fares for clients who How to use transit
are in the CalWorks program. services
Targeted
Other social service agencies that also work with low-income families, route/schedule info
including Homeward Bound, Marin Housing Authority and the Marin Affordability
Community Food Bank, should be included in the outreach efforts
described below.
The recommended strategy for communicating with low-income families

is to provide DHHS and other gatekeepers with information and tools that
will make it easier for them to help their clients use transit.
Transit Training for Social Service and Jobs Program

Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers for the low-income populations should be an important part
of the focus of Gatekeeper Communication Program described on page
27. Periodic training sessions should be held with case workers to
ensure that they understand the transit network and how to use it
effectively for their clients. These can often be conducted at staff
meetings for the various agencies. A simple letter expressing a desire to

brief the agency staff, followed up by a phone call, should be effective in
securing training opportunities.
In addition, each agency should be provided with a supply of passenger

guides (that are replaced whenever changes are made) and with transit
displays for their lobbies where appropriate.
Information Distribution and Poster Campaign at Affordable

Apartment Complexes
Affordable apartment complexes where many low-income families live
can be another channel of communications. They should be included in
the gatekeeper newsletter mailing, should be provided with passenger
guides and should be given posters for display in offices, by mailboxes,
and in laundry rooms.
Low Income Fare Media

During the stakeholder interviews for this project the concept of low cost
or free fares for low-income individuals was brought up by social service
providers. Specifically their suggestions included:
Reduced cost monthly pass for persons on public assistance. These

types of passes are offered in some communities including Tucson
and Calgary. They generally require a means test certification which
is often provided by the County social services. In Marin County,
DHHS would likely need to be an active partner in establishing such
a program.
Volume sale of discounted bus tickets to social service agencies.

Other communities simply sell single ride tickets to social service
agencies at a significant volume discount. The agencies then
distribute the tickets to clients for free, based on their own criteria.
Marin Transit currently provides free tickets (good on limited services) to

Homeward Bound, an agency which works with Homeless Families.
Whether or not to expand into other low-income media would be a
policy decision.
Middle and High School Students
Middle and high school students are an important target for supplemental
routes, but also for general ridership. Approximately 16% of current
Marin Transit trips are to/from school. Students, particularly those too
young to drive, have the potential to use transit for recreation as well as
commuting.

Marin Transit offers a Youth Fare at 50% of the regular fare, and a six
month or one-year youth pass at a discounted rate. Many low-income
students received the pass at no cost.
Marin Transit staff has promoted the youth pass program through
distribution of information and posters to the schools served by the
supplemental routes. These efforts should definitely be continued.
Marin Transit may want to implement additional targeted efforts to
reach the youth market.
Back to School Mailing (with free trial ride) for all schools with bus
service
In the past, Golden Gate Transit has distributed information about the
supplemental services to parents of students at schools served by
these routes. Marin Transit may wish to re-initiate this effort and turn
these information packets into promotional packets by adding a free ride
pass or tickets good during the first week or two of classes. This would
encourage students (and their parents) to try transit as a way of getting Sample of School Direct Mailer used
by LAVTA in Livermore
to school.
Join forces with Safe Routes to School to develop Transit Training

curriculum for schools
Safe Routes to School works through schools to encourage children to
get to school by walking, biking or riding the bus. Golden Gate Transit
has a specially painted bus that it takes out to schools to teach kids
about using transit. These two efforts are natural partners and could be
combined to create a more systematic approach to transit training for
middle and high school students.
A number of possible approaches were discussed during the interview

with Safe Routes.
The ideal approach would be to create a 30-40 minute presentation
on how to use public transportation in Marin County. This would be
designed to fit into a class curriculum so that the schools would
commit class time to it. Possibly it could be tied into science with a
focus on global warming and how to reduce carbon emissions by
using transit. The program could be presented in a number of ways.
Best would be individual class presentations. If Golden Gate
could bring a bus to the school, several classrooms could be
presented to in a single day.
Second best would be an assembly presentation, also with a bus
on site.
Third would be announcements in home room, hand outs of
information, and an incentive to try transit (e.g. free ride ticket for
student and parent).

The Safe Routes to School consultant suggested giving older
students the challenge or assignment of making a trip on transit and
reporting back. They would be given a free bus pass or ticket to use
for the trip. Perhaps their reports could enter them in a drawing for
a prize.
Continue advertising in FastForward student newspaper

Golden Gate Transit currently advertises the 50% student fare program
in FastForward (www.fastforwardweb.com), a publication for kidsby
kidsabout kids that is distributed through area schools.
Summer Promotion of Youth Fare

Since the 50% youth fare is a year-round fare, students can be
encouraged to use the bus for recreation and work travel during the
summer vacation. This can be accomplished through distribution of
promotional literature through schools (before the summer recess) and
ads in FastForward. This message could also be incorporated into the
Its easier than you think campaign, using targeted newspaper
advertising directed at parents. The key messages would be economy
(only $1) and freedom both for the youth and the parent.
College Students It should be noted that both

colleges include information
College students are traditionally heavy users of public transportation. about the availability of transit
services to campus in their
Marin Transit provides service to College of Marin (two campuses) and catalogue.
Dominican University. College of Marin has about 9000 students, of
whom more than 85% live in Marin County. Dominican University has
about 2000 students.
Numerous unsuccessful attempts were made during the research for this
plan to contact someone at College of Marin or Dominican University to
discuss how best to market transit to their students. Since no response
was received, we cannot provide specific input about communications
opportunities available to Marin Transit. However, transit agencies in
markets with similar sized colleges have used a number of strategies
successfully. These include:
Institute a pre-paid fare program.

Universities and community colleges throughout the US are increasingly
entering into prepaid fare programs with transit agencies. Under these
programs, the schools pay the transit agency a relatively small amount
per student, per semester (e.g. $10). In return, all students have
unlimited access to transit services with their current student ID card.
Pre-paid programs have been in place at major universities (e.g. UC
Berkeley and University of Oregon) for decades. However, they are
becoming increasingly common at community colleges (Rio Hondo and

Los Rios Community Colleges, in California) and at smaller colleges (Ft.
Lewis College, Durango).
These programs have been shown to significantly increase usage of

transit among students.
Place permanent passenger information displays on

college campuses.
One way to build visibility among students while providing
easy access to transit information is to establish a permanent
transit information display at a high traffic location on campus
(e.g. student center). This display should provide permanent
mounted information (route map and schedule) plus a supply
of Riders Guides or flyers specific to the routes serving the
campus.
The photo at the right shows a display created for Mercer

College to promote the transit system in Macon, Georgia. It On Campus Transit Display, Mercer
College, Macon, GA
utilized a standard display fixture and a digitally printed poster
to create a customized, yet cost-effective display.
Educate new college students about their transit option.

Outreach efforts at the start of the school year can be used to educate
students about their transportation options. This can be accomplished
by have transit representatives on site during the registration period or by
providing a customized handout for inclusion in orientation packets given
to new students. The handout should highlight services to the campus
and direct students to trip planning assistance via the phone or website.
Place ads and stories in student newspaper.

The Echo Times is the College of Marin student newspaper and would
be a cost effective channel for advertising to college students.
Seniors
Marin Countys residents are aging in place, and the 65+ component of
the population is growing rapidly. By 2020 it is projected that 35% of the
population will be over 65. This coming wave of baby boomer seniors is
referred to as Marins Silver Tsunami. Most of this population will not
come to transit easily. They are used to the convenience of driving
themselves. Neither Marin Countys topography (hilly), nor much of the
transit system structure (freeway-focused), is conducive to the use of
fixed route services by seniors with declining mobility. However, there
are exceptions. The three new shuttle routes, the EZ-Rider in Novato,
and specific segments of other fixed routes offer services that seniors
can use. However, attracting them will take a very targeted, hands-on
approach to marketing.

Marin Transit staff has been active in making senior travel training
presentations at residential facilities and senior centers. In addition, they
are currently initiating a Senior Ambassador program that could provide
some volunteer support for the outreach strategies described below.
It is recommended that marketing which targets seniors continue to be

focused on senior-oriented residential complexes with easy access to a
Marin Transit route. In this way, Marin Transit will be using its resources
to market to potential riders who can realistically get to the bus stop.
Outreach presentations
Personal on-site presentations at senior complexes or senior centers are
the most effective means of educating seniors about transit services.
The presentation would include:
A talk about how the system works, highlighting destinations of
interest to seniors at that particular complex (nearby grocery stores,
pharmacies, shopping centers, and medical facilities, etc.).
An explanation of how to read the schedule.
A trip planning session to show them how to get to the places they
would want to go.
Each participant should be left with a schedule and a free day-pass
for future use.
You may also want to work with the facility manager to plan small
group trips, using the regular bus schedule, as this will allow seniors
a safe way to try out the bus in the company of friends.
Senior-friendly schedules for target routes

For the routes you plan to promote to seniors, including the shuttle
routes, you may want to consider creating senior friendly schedules
separate from the county-wide guide. These schedules can
be simple black and white publications that include the route
map and schedule in a larger print format. Additional
information might also be provided about how to get to
locations on the route that are of particular interest to seniors.
The example at the right is from e-tran in Elk Grove,

California, a suburb of Sacramento. They operate a number
of neighborhood shuttle routes that serve major senior
complexes. The schedule shown here is an 11 X 17 format
piece that takes the graphics from their bus book and
enlarges and customizes them for seniors. The outside of the piece has Senior Oriented Schedule for
photos and copy that make it clear that the system is senior-friendly and Deviated Fixed Route in Elk Grove
highlights all of the senior-attractive locations that can be reached on this
single route.

These senior-friendly schedules can be used in several ways:
Ask complex managers to distribute them to all residents at target
senior complexes.
Use them as part of the outreach presentations described above.
Post them on bulletin boards in common areas, near mailboxes, and
in laundry rooms at senior complexes, senior centers, and other
senior-oriented destinations along the route.

West Marin Stagecoach Ridership
The rural west Marin County population is quite distinct from the eastern
part of the county and truly requires a dedicated marketing effort. There
are three populations who use the West Marin Stagecoach:
East County residents traveling west for jobs
West County residents traveling east
Visitors traveling to West Marin from the East County or from the Bay
Area for recreation.
The first group, those traveling to West Marin for jobs, would be
addressed by strategies discussed under the Local and Shuttle Routes
section. These are largely low-income workers who can be reached
through county social service and employment programs, as well as by
inclusion of the West Marin service in the Local Transit Guide.
The West Marin residents and visitors are addressed here.
Residents
Discussions with stakeholders in the West Marin Communities yielded a

variety of recommendations for reaching the resident population. These
are generally consistent with the marketing efforts currently being used
for the West Marin Stagecoach. Current efforts include monthly ads in
the Point Reyes Light and sponsorships on KWMR radio, as well as
distribution of a schedule brochure.
Targeted information distribution.

The West Marin Routes should continue to be promoted via
a schedule separate from the county-wide guide.
Promotional posters along with a take-one holder of the
schedules should continue to be visibly displayed at locations
along the routes including:
Post Office in each community
Grocery Store in each community
Coastal Health Alliance clinics
Community Centers
Each of the Stage Bus Stops (posted schedule)
Testimonial Ad Campaign in West Marin Newspapers.

Small, rural communities, such as those served by the West
Marin Stagecoach, tend to respond well to testimonial
advertising. In fact, the Coastal Health Alliance recently used a Testimonial Ad for Calaveras
testimonial campaign featuring local residents to pass a funding Transitthis was one of a series of
measure. ads featuring workers, seniors and
students

Showing real riders and how they benefit from using transit has a
number of advantages. Selecting riders that represent the demographic
segments you are trying to attract will send the message that people like
you ride the bus (not just the down and out). And using real people
lends credibility to your message.
A testimonial newspaper campaign can be created fairly simply. Begin

by asking the bus operators to recommend and recruit participants.
Then meet with each participant to interview and photograph them.
(Organizing all of the interviews for a single day will allow you to
affordably use a professional photographer.) Quotes from the interviews
which illustrate transits benefits can be used for headlines. The photos
of the riders, along with their names, will encourage newspaper readers
to stop and read the ads.
Public Relations Efforts through local newspapers and KWMR

Community Radio Station
West Marin is distinct enough from the rest of the county to justify a
separate public relations effort. Two newspapers (Pt. Reyes Light and
West Marin Citizen) and KWMR Community Radio Station are the
primary news media for the area. News releases of specific interest to
West Marin residents should be regularly distributed to these media.
Visitors
Visitors to West Marin come from throughout the county, the state, and
the world. Three communications efforts are recommended for making
information about the West Marin Stagecoach available to them.
Distribution of information through the state and national parks.

Targeted posters and schedules for the West Marin Stagecoach can be
distributed through the park facilities at Pt. Reyes Seashore, Samuel P.
Taylor State Park, and Tamalpais State Park. These parks may also
wish to send small supplies of the schedules to parks in neighboring
counties.
Transit links on park websites.

Most travelers these days use the internet for travel planning. Therefore
having information about the West Marin services on line is the most
effective way of reaching travelers from outside the area. The West
Marin Stagecoach and Golden Gate Transit links on the Point Reyes
National Seashore Directions page are ideal. Links like this should be
requested on the web pages for the other parks. You may also want to
consider having these links go first to a visitor-oriented page on the
website that specifically shows how you can use GGT and West Marin
Stagecoach to travel from outside of Marin County to the parks. They

can then link to the West Marin Stagecoach and GGT schedule
information as they do now.
Promotion of West Marin Stagecoach to other Marin Transit riders

and Golden Gate Transit commuter route riders.
There is also the opportunity to cross-sell the West Marin Service to
users of other Marin Transit local and Golden Gate Transit commuter
riders. Ads in Passenger Guides and posters on buses can promote
recreational use of the West Marin Stagecoach by riders and their
families.

Route Specific Marketing for New or Targeted Routes
Conduct targeted marketing efforts to support the introduction of
new or specially targeted routes.
Most of the marketing efforts outlined in this plan are designed to support
Marin Transits overall route network GGT-operated routes, shuttle
routes, and West Marin Stagecoach. However, sometimes it will be
necessary to provide added support or promotion for a specific route or
set of routes, particularly during the introduction of new services.
Some of the strategies that might be utilized
Customized passenger information guide and poster, designed to be

appropriate for the target audience.
For example: Large type for seniors
Distribution of the guide and display of the poster at locations

frequented by targets population along the route.
On-going communications with gatekeepers who work with target

populations served by the route.
Outreach presentation to the target population.

Personal presentations at senior centers or apartment complexes
along the route.
Targeted advertising in local community newspapers within the areas

served by the route.
While these types of specialized efforts can be useful in helping to

establish new services, it is important to recognize that they address
much smaller population bases than efforts designed to promote the
overall Marin Transit system and will result in smaller overall ridership
gains.

IMPLEMENTATION
Following this section is an implementation schedule/budget that will be
completed by the consultant in conjunction with Marin Transit staff. This
table will serve as an implementation guide for the plan, assigning a
timeframe and budget to each strategy chosen for implementation.
This plan will be implemented based on available resources. Many costs

are yet to be fully identified, as they involve both up-front capital
investments and operation expenses, in addition to annual and on-going
marketing costs.
For example, there will be additional ongoing operating costs associated

with having a dedicated Marin Local fleet. Marin Transit staff will need to
work closely with Golden Gate Transit to forecast the financial
implications, to maintain efficiencies, and to minimize additional service
costs over time.
The implementation schedule for marketing activities will be adjusted in

conjunction with each years annual budget to relflect available
resources.
In addition to timing and budget for each strategy, there are a number of
additional implementation factors that must be considered.
Coordination with Golden Gate Transit

Implementation of most of the marketing strategies specified in this plan
will require a joint effort between Marin Transit and its operating partners,
particularly Golden Gate Transit. A number of the recommended
strategies will require policy decisions on the part of the boards of both
Marin Transit and Golden Gate Transit. These include:
Branding on vehicles and shared bus stops
Dedication of specific buses to Marin Transit routes
Introduction of additional local fare media, and potential acceptance
of these media for local trips on GGT regional basic routes 10, 40,
42, 70, and 80 and potentially regional commute routes. The
agencies will need to develop a revenue-sharing agreement.
In addition, there will need to be decisions about Golden Gate Transits

role in production of the Marin County Transit Guide and other
passenger information materials such as bus stop displays. Options
include having the GGT graphics staff produce the new guide, or simply
provide the schedule files in a format that can be used by a graphics firm
to provide this service. There may be additional costs due to having
separate transit guides.

Staff Resources
A variety of types of resources will be needed to implement the
strategies contained herein. These include:
Graphic design and production services for the creation of passenger
information materials, bus stop signage, and branding
implementation
Printing of passenger and promotional materials, production of bus
stop signage, and transit center displays
Web design services to upgrade the Marin Transit website.
Advertising services to assist with creation and placement of the
Advertising Campaign
Public relations services to write and distribute news releases.
Staff to work with area gatekeepers to develop and implement the
targeted ridership strategies outlined in Priority 3.
Staff to conduct outreach presentations and distribute promotional
materials, passenger information guides, and displays.
Given Marin Transits small staff, it is likely that many of the services will
be secured through contracts with marketing agencies or independent
contractors. This will be particularly true during Phase 1 and 2 of
implementation.
Market Research/Program Evaluation

As the marketing effort moves forward, it will be important to track
changes in ridership, market share, composition of the customer base,
and passenger satisfaction. While changes in ridership can be tracked
through internal reporting, the other factors will require a program of
periodic marketing research. Three types of market research would
provide value to the marketing effort.
Periodic On-board Survey (every 2 years)

Marin Transit (in conjunction with Golden Gate Transit) will be
conducting a passenger survey in Spring 2008. This type of survey,
conducted every two years, can be used to track changes in:
Passenger satisfaction
Fare media usage
Demographic profile of riders (by route)
Website usage
Transit dependent/discretionary ridership
Pre and Post Telephone Survey

To understand changes in perceptions of transit within the community
and estimate market share, a community-wide telephone survey,
conducted before and after implementation of the Phase 1 and 2 efforts,
would be useful. The telephone survey could be used to explore:

Level of transit usage and potential usage among the population
Awareness of Marin Transit and of transit service in Marin
Attitude towards transit usage
Relevance of various marketing appeals
It should be noted that telephone surveys of this type are relatively costly
and would require a budget separate from the established marketing
budget. The pre and post survey could easily cost $60,000.
Informal Focus Groups with Target Populations

Informal focus groups conducted either by staff or a consultant can be
used to aid development of the community based programs outline in
Phase 3. Participants for these groups can often be recruited through
the gatekeeper, and a guided discussion with them can help to identify
key appeals and messages to be included in presentations and
promotional materials.

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STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN

Appendix (under separate cover)

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 1

Build awareness among the Marin County population for

Improve the ease of understanding and using transit in

Improve the customer experience for all Marin County

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 2

Low income workers

Commuters traveling in key corridors

Middle and High School Students

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 3

Low income families

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 4

Priority 1: Essential Marketing Strategies

Priority 2: Awareness and Image Building Strategies

Priority 3: Targeted Ridership Strategies

It should be noted that the implementation of many of these strategies

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 5

The Market Assessment discussed three options for establishing the

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 6

Passenger Guides and Promotional Materials

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 7

There are two distinct transit markets in Marin County: Individuals

A Separate Local Transit Guide

Easier to read, full color system map showing all local/regular

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 8

Individual route maps for each local route,

How to Ride information including details about fares, passes,

Cross promotion of other transit services available in Marin County

Format for Guide

While printing and distributing two companion booklets will be somewhat

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 9

Enhance bus stop signage and information

In addition to being an opportunity for branding, bus stops are an

Changeable information panel (such as currently used by GGT) but

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 10

Any type of signage which includes actual schedule information (highly

Transfer Center Displays and Real Time Information

Even if schedule information cannot be provided at other bus stops, it

Real time bus arrival information.

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 11

Wayfinding signs to direct passengers to the stops, which are often

Destination identifiers on the freeway bus shelters. When you are on

Detailed maps in passenger guides showing passengers how to

Enhance Marin Transit website to be the source for transit

The internet is an increasingly important source of information for

Both Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit maintain websites

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 12

Interactive Map. www.vta.org

Organize information by destination, not

Easy access to commuter route information.

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 13

The Capital Metro website shown at the right includes

Real Time Information on the Website

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 14

Once the enhanced website is complete, Marin Transit should work to

Ensure that high quality trip planning assistance by telephone is

DRAFT Marin Transit Strategic Marketing Plan Page 15

Day Pass available in addition to free transfers