**Marketing Transit**

FTA Region VII Conference

Becky J. Passman

Iowa Quad-Cities Transit Coordinator

Bi-State Regional Commission

" How to split a staffer 3 ways...\
*OR\
*If it's Tuesday, this must be Bettendorf"

*(i.e. what exactly* IS *an Iowa Quad Cities Transit Coordinator
position*

*& how did it come about?)*

**Overview:**

IA QC Transit Coordinator Position

-   2004 IA QC Transit Consolidation Study

-   Consensus reached MOU signed July, 2005

-   Administration process developed

-   "Anticipated" duties formulated

-   Summer '05: Hiring process began & resulted in...

IA QC Transit Coordinator Position:**\
Funding**

IA QC Transit Coordinator Position:**\
Funding,** cont...

Difficult question #2:

**Chain of Command**

Difficult question #3:

Part II:\
\
"Marketing:\
\
It's the , Baby"

In the Iowa QC's,

***the transit scene is getting green(er)...***

Overview:

Ridership Trends

Bettendorf Transit: Working the niches

Bettendorf Transit: Working the niches, cont...

Bettendorf Transit: Working the niches, cont...

-   Bus advertising in-house: Aug. '07 -- 12 month contract

**HIGHLIGHTS:**

Transit Ridership Trends

-   Process duration: March '07 to July '07

-   Extensive public involvement process: 3 public forums, 2 videos,
    input via "Action Center"

-   City of Davenport proclaimed July 9 "Transit Rider Appreciation Day"
    w/ no fare on CitiBus fixed routes on that day

-   New routes effective July 9

-   Bettendorf Transit & MetroLink joined celebration

-   "Fare-free" cooperative effort!

**New CitiBus Routes bring a Fare-Free day in the QCA**

**Q-C buses forego fares for a day**

**By David Heitz**

As a Davenport CitiBus rounded a corner Monday and pulled into the
Meadowcrest

Gardens senior housing complex near West 53rd and Pine streets, about a
dozen riders waited at the new stop, clapping and cheering.\
\
"I won't feel like a shut-in anymore," a beaming Peggy Smith said as she
boarded the bus. "I'm thrilled. I'm so excited. I feel like a kid. And
today it's free!"

Continued.....

Transit Ridership Trends

River Bend Transit:\
Launch of QC- Muscatine Employee Shuttle

River Bend Transit: QC- Muscatine Employee Shuttle, cont...

**Phase 1 Status:** 2007 ICAAP grant application approved

**Launch Date:** January 2008

**Target:** Muscatine employers with employees commuting from the Quad
Cities

**Valuable Facilitator:** Muscatine Chamber of Commerce

River Bend Transit: QC- Muscatine Employee Shuttle, cont...

**Phase 2 Status:** ICAAP grant submitted Oct. 1, 2007

**Proposed Launch Date:** January 2009

**Target:** Quad Cities employers with employees commuting from the
Muscatine area

**Cooperative Efforts & Partnerships** *Iowa QC Transit Ambassador's
Program:*

***Partners:***

-   Generations Area Agency on Aging

-   Friendly House

-   Scott County Health Dept.

-   Signature Management

-   River Bend Transit

-   Davenport CitiBus

-   Bettendorf Transit

Iowa QC Transit Ambassador's Program, cont...

***2007 Awards:***

-   Shining Star Award at the Iowa Governor's Conference

-   "Excellence in Coordination" award from Iowa Dept. of Transportation

**Cooperative Efforts & Partnerships**

QC TAG works

to improve the quality of life in the QCs by promoting a balanced
approach to transportation that encourages walking, biking, and public
transportation.

*(QCTAG mission statement)*

Bike-to-Work Week\
(May 14 -- 18)

**Cooperative Efforts & Partnerships**

Bettendorf Transit, Davenport CitiBus, and MetroLink have teamed up to
determine the feasibility of jointly shared, limited stop, seamless
Riverfront Circulator.

*Want to know more????*

Visit *the* QC transit portal:

**www.qctransit.com**