Getting Started on a Ballot Measure Campaign Friday, January 15, 2010

Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service February 19, 2010: Building a Winning Coalition March 19, 2010: Making Your Message Matter April 23, 2010: Social Media: Friending, Tweeting & Blogging Your Way to Success May 14, 2010: Silencing the Naysayers All webinars will begin at 1:00 PM ET. Registration is available online at or Upcoming Webinars

California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop Sacramento, CA March 9, 2010 Sheraton Grand Hotel This workshop is an abridged version of the biannual Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference tailored to meet the needs of communities in California. For more information visit Sessions to Include: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions Marketing & Media Strategies that Work Building the Transit Vote Coalition California Statewide Measure

APTA's 2010 Local Coalition Grant Program Ten $5000 Grants to be awarded Projects designed to support local transit agencies advocate for more local and state funding encouraged Contact Kylah Hynes for more

Getting Started on a Ballot Measure Campaign Today’s Program Campaign Principles Keys to Success Election Issues Lessons Learned Seattle Story Audience Questions

Speakers Art Guzzetti, Vice President of Policy, American Public Transportation Association Alan Wulkan, Co-Founder/Managing Partner of InfraConsult, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ Joni Earl, CEO of Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

Getting Started on a Ballot Measure Campaign Alan C. Wulkan Managing Partner

Santa Clara Beats the Odds Phoenix Voters Put Transit on Track Kansas City Voters Reject Light Rail Monorail in Seattle Springs Back to Life Seattle-Area Voters OK Transit Tax Hike Three Counties Support Transit Tax in Utah METRO’s Train Comes In: Rail Plan Approved in Houston High Speed Rail Service Wins in Florida Charlotte Voters Rally in Support of Transit Tax

National Election Results Source: Center for Transportation Excellence

Principles ● Focus on winning ● Follow keys to success ● Survey early and often ● Early fund raising ● Keep it simple ● Transit elections are unique ● Answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Keys to Success ● Champion(s) ● Professional political consultant ● Grassroots support ● Campaign funding

Keys to Success ● Champion(s) Recognized household name No political interest Time commitment Examples ○ Former Mayor – Austin, Texas ○ Chamber Leaders – Tempe, Arizona ○ Former City Council – Tempe, Arizona ○ City Councilman – Charlotte, NC

Keys to Success ● Professional political consultant Local vs. national Get the best available Listen to the consultant Issue campaign experience Realistic budget Campaign strategy critical

Keys to Success ● Grassroots support Business community Neighborhood groups Community organizations ○ League of women voters ○ Service organizations Speakers bureau Diverse support

Keys to Success ● Campaign funding Committee chair key Broad-based finance committee ○ Set realistic budget ○ Money comes late ○ Big and small contributions ○ Know the law

Election Issues ● What’s in it for me? ● The 1% myth ● All rail systems over budget and little ridership ● Transit should pay for itself ● Cheaper options

Election Issues ● Other priorities ● Government mistrust ● Empty buses ● Transit does little for air quality ● National anti-rail experts

Elections Summary Lessons Learned ● Usually multiple attempts before a funding referendum is passed ● Outcome often more influenced by other issues (the economy, government interest, etc.) than support for public transit ● Can succeed as stand-alone or in combination with highway proposition ● The most successful campaigns had grassroots support and professional management

Elections Summary Lessons Learned ● Many well-financed, well-endorsed tax initiatives fail due to grassroots opposition ● Successful transit election is more likely if: You have a good map Specific projects are linked with the funding request Proposition is focused at the short-term and immediate time frames ● Most transit elections usually are close because a relatively small number of direct constituencies benefit from the tax

Sound Transit Six Stops to Success—A Six-Part Webinar Series Part II: Getting started on a ballot measure campaign Joni Earl Sound Transit CEO January 15, 2010

Huge roads-transit plan gets trounced (Nov. 2007) Sound Transit turns to citizens in push for expansion plans (April 2008) Sound Transit sending voters $17.9 billion rail-and-bus plan (July 2008) How transit supporters closed the deal with voters (Nov. 2008)

Leadership Content Know your audience Make the case Close the deal Key ingredients to success

Leadership Sound Transit Board 2008

Content

Know your audience

Make the case =

Close the deal Oran Viriyinci photo

Questions & Discussion

Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service February 19, 2010: Building a Winning Coalition March 19, 2010: Making Your Message Matter April 23, 2010: Social Media: Friending, Tweeting & Blogging Your Way to Success May 14, 2010: Silencing the Naysayers All webinars will begin at 1:00 PM ET. Registration is available online at or Upcoming Webinars

California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop Sacramento, CA March 9, 2010 Sheraton Grand Hotel This workshop is an abridged version of the biannual Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference tailored to meet the needs of communities in California. For more information visit Sessions to Include: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions Marketing & Media Strategies that Work Building the Transit Vote Coalition California Statewide Measure

APTA's 2010 Local Coalition Grant Program Ten $5000 Grants to be awarded Projects designed to support local transit agencies advocate for more local and state funding encouraged Contact Kylah Hynes for more

For More Information on CFTE: (202) For More Information on NAPTA: (202)