northwest oregon connector
TRANSCRIPT
Who We Are
Other Strategic Partners Other Strategic Partners
Northwest Oregon Connector AllianceREGIONAL TRANSIT PROJECT
ORIGINAL PROJECT PURPOSE
To reduce greenhouse gasses and fossil fuel dependence through increased transit use by
visitors and commuters.
PROJECT GOALS
Improve transit connections between communities
Brand and market transit service in all five counties as a single seamless service
Improve inter-agency coordination of routes and schedules
Promote environmentally-conscious travel
Position transit as an asset for economic development and promoting tourism
MAJOR TASKS
Regional Route and Service Coordination
Branding and Marketing
Centralized Website
Strategic Partnerships
Sustainable Funding
Successes and Lessons Learned
All are interconnected !
ORGANIZATION
• Intergovernmental Agreement• Bylaws• Designated Fiscal Agent• Budget• Contract Administrative Support• Monthly Meetings• Mutual Goals and Projects
REGIONAL ROUTE AND SERVICE COORDINATION
BEFORE:• Transfer points in remote areas• Not where people wanted to go•Often very long wait times
Connections Across County
Lines
Initial Successes
• Tillamook/Lincoln County
–Was: Transfer at Otis
– Now: TCTD goes into Lincoln City and agencies share cost of the extended run
CONNECTIONS
BRANDING AND MARKETING
Branding and Marketing: The Challenge
• Five diverse counties• Visitors and commuters – two
different audiences• Existing individual agency brands
and identities
Coast-to-Valley Express Graphics
The Connector System is Identified at Bus Stops, Shelters and on Buses
Market analysis showed:• the need for a regional commuter pass within
the five-county area is low,• but the visitor pass concept works !
Regional Fares for Visitors
Poster Art
Marketing and Advertising includes Incentives to Attract More Riders and New Transit Travel to NW Oregon
General Web AdvertisingBikePortland.org
CENTRALIZED WEBSITE
nwconnector.org
New home page has regional trip planning info for riders, news, meeting notices, etc.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Our Strategic Partners• Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)• Salem-Keizer Transit District• Yamhill County Transit Area• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians• Amtrak Cascades and Throughway Bus System • Greyhound Bus Lines
The Connector “Loop”
Successes !• Coast to Valley ridership between Albany/Corvallis
and Newport has increased by 300%• Ridership between Lincoln County and Tillamook
County increased by 125%• New service to Kelso/Longview, WA by Columbia
County Rider• Better connections to the NW Point bus service in
Cannon Beach• Ridership between Lincoln City and Salem increases
25 to 30 percent each month
Coast-to-Valley Express
Lee LazaroRural and Special Transportation Coordinator
Benton County Transportation Services541-754-1748