Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference, June 24, 2013 Hard lessons in reputation management Hard lessons in reputation management

Sound Transit District

Light rail near death experience Nov 96 Sound Move ballot measure passes Nov 00 Tunnel negotiations suspended Jan 01 Full funding grant agreementExecutive director resigns Apr 01 Inspector General suspends funding

In the news Sound Transit taken to task - Seattle P-I Sound Transit: a matter of trust -Seattle Times U.S. to audit troubled rail project - Seattle P-I Sound Transit Board must take hold of light rail fiasco - Everett Herald Lawsuit seeks to halt light rail - Seattle P-I Sharks circling regional light rail - The News Tribune

Starting the long road to recovery Apr 01 Agency-wide reorganization Jun 01 Joni Earl new Exec. DirectorNew initial segment defined July 02 New $500m FFGA application Oct 03 FTA awards $500m FFGA Nov 03 Link groundbreaking

Sound Transit is the little engine that could - Sen. Patty Murray Back on track

Additional successes 2008: Resounding approval of $18 billionSound Transit 2 measure following 2007Roads & Transit defeat 2009: $813m FFGA for University Link 2009: Central Link completed within the 2001revised schedule and budget

Howd we do it? Earn trust: Under promise/over deliver model Centralize communications functions Aggressive community outreach - One-on-ones, Speakers Bureau Capitalize on every milestone and success Public opinion research

Managing Your Reputation

Telephone Surveys/ Public Involvement

13 The future is bright

14 Investment Worth It? (2010) Q25. Do you think tax investments in Sound Transit thus far have been completely worth it, mostly, not worth much or worth nothing at all?

15 Mind Share (2012) Have you ever considered riding Sound Transit express bus, Sounder commuter rail or light rail for your current commute instead of driving? Not considered ST 1,523,054 81% Non-transit commuters: 1,880,314 (79%) Considered ST 357,260 19%

16 Target Market (Mind/Market Share 2012) % of the regions regular commuters who do not take transit, are between ages 16 and 64, have commutes 10 miles or longer and are not opposed to riding on of Sound Transits services Target Market of 38% of regular commuters (902,720) Taken ST in past 8% (190,046) Not considered & not taken - 24% (570,139) Considered & not taken 6% (142,535)

Focus Groups

18 Types of Focus Groups for Sound Transit Voter groups to investigate financial issues (2001) Voter groups to investigate future packages and plans (2005, 2008) Resident groups on light rail ridership (2009) Rider groups on schedule books (2010) Groups with potential riders (2011, 2012)

Customer Satisfaction Intercepts

20 Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC # Sound Transit Grade by Year Q6. If you were giving Sound Transit an overall report card, where A means excellent, C means average, and F means failing, what overall grade would you give them? A grade responses: 53%42% 45%53% A - B+ 48% 46%

21 Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC # Benchmarking Against Other Agencies Q6. If you were giving Sound Transit an overall report card, where A means excellent, C means average, and F means failing, what overall grade would you give them?

22 Sound Transit 2012 Customer Satisfaction Intercept Survey | EMC # % of Choice Riders with a Car (Choice Survey) Q4. Did you have a car available that you could have used for this trip?

Rider Panel

24 Rider Panel

SoundOff Results: April-May 2013 What is the best part of your commute on transit?