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Transit Connections 2013 The Value of Transit. The Economics of Transit: Here and Around the Nation / Innovative Transit Solutions. Tom Skancke Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance. Stephen Maples University of Nevada, Reno. Andrew Austin American for Transit.
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Transit Connections 2013 The Value of Transit The Economics of Transit: Here and Around the Nation / Innovative Transit Solutions Tom Skancke Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance Stephen Maples University of Nevada, Reno Andrew Austin American for Transit
Building Communities for the Future Attracting, growing, and retaining millennials through great public transit
Americans for Transit • Mission: to create, strengthen, and unite grassroots transit rider campaigns • Founded in 2012 by the Amalgamated Transit Union & Good Jobs First • Train to build capacity; Support campaigns on-site; Build a national coalition of grassroots transit rider organizations.
Who am I? • Avid bus rider, train nerd, bike rider, and walker • Former Field Director at Transportation Choices in Washington State • Worked on multiple successful (and a few unsuccessful) transit ballot campaigns; led advocacy to save bus service statewide
What the Heck Is a Millennial Anyway? Wikipedia says… • William Strauss and Neil Howe coined term in some books about the post Gen-X generation. • Roughly defined as people born between 1982-2004.
I am a Millennial… Who grew up in an medium sized town & in a middle class family. Which means (like many of my peers)…
I grew up getting certificates and stickers for things that maybe should have been expected (“graduating” 4th grade and potty training anyone?)
We are the last generation To hear World War II stories (as teenagers and adults) directly from those who lived it…
Sort of… • This is the most educated generation in American history and the only group for whom real wages fell in the three years after the recession began. (Youth/national unemployment)
“How to Write the Worst Possible Column About Millennials” • “use vapid tropes about spoiled young people refusing to work bc they just don't want to” • Pretend every member of this 85-million-person generation grew up in a fabricated life-size playhouse on the set of Hannah Montana. • Blame today's high youth unemployment on "their parents’ success"
And Maybe…. • Some of us… • Okay just me… • Want this on our wedding cake
Millennials and Transportation • What we know • What we can do about • Where we go from here
What do we know? 1-Driving down (car ownership)
What do we know? 1-Driving down (Miles Driven)
What do we know? 1-Driving simply flat/ way down (per capita)
1-Driving down (Miles Driven)- Planning hasn’t caught up!
What do we know? 2-Demand for Transit Soaring (ridership)
2-Demand for Transit Soaring Voters are saying yes at the ballot Box
What do we know? 2-Polls Agree, Demand for Transit Soaring
What do we know? 3-Millennials are driving the increased demand for transit nationally
What we know (Re-cap) • People are driving less • Demand for transit is rising (fare box, ballot box, polling) • Millennials are key demographic behind these trends
What can ‘WE’(transit providers, planners, businesses, and advocates) DO about IT?
What can we do about it? 1-More GREAT Transit…
What can we do about it? NOT Less
Transit that attracts young people to use it, and keep using it, should be good for everyone…
Goes where people want to go (for smart planners to figure out)!
What can we do about it? 2- Design communities for people
What can we do about it? 3-User friend relevant Technology
What can we do about it? 4-Marketing and Communications that Speaks to Millennials
What we Can do(Re-cap) • Plan and build great transit • Create people focused communities • Implement user friendly technology in transit • Relevant, modern, communication
No Amount of great marketing, social media savviness, and relevant communications… Can replace great transit and places