Building a Winning Coalition Friday, February 19, 2010

Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service 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 and to register, visit Program-at-a-Glance 9:00 am Welcome & Introductions 9:15 am Election 2008: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions 10:30 am Marketing & Media Strategies that Work 11:45 amLunch & Keynote Presentation 1:30 pm Building the Transit Vote Coalition 2:30 pm California Statewide Measure 4:00 pmWorkshop Adjourns

Building a Winning Coalition Today’s Program NAPTA-National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates Alliance for Public Transportation, Austin, TX Livable Communities Coalition, Atlanta, GA Citizens for Modern Transit, St. Louis, MO

Speakers Kylah Hynes, Program Manager, NAPTA & American Public Transportation Association Glenn Gadbois, Alliance for Public Transportation, Austin, TX Raymond Christman, Executive Director, Livable Communities Coalition, Atlanta, GA Tom Shrout, Executive Director of Citizens for Modern Transit, St. Louis, MO

Glenn Gadbois Gadbois Consulting creative marketing and engagement strategies Move Me LLC demand management Two decades building “table setting” organizations Texas Bicycle Coalition Just Transportation Alliances Alliance for Public Transportation Great Public Spaces

Lessons from 2004 Won in % support $90 million for 32 mile commuter rail Financed with current Metro revenues. What we learned: Politically expedient proposal Strong inside effort Strong outside support Not prepared for “yes”

REQUIRED Know who will vote Solve a problem those voters care about Champions Credibility Money Volunteers Ownership

Forming APT Using the TIME between elections to line up REQUIRED pieces Determining the problem and best solution. Under your your assets and deficiencies Spend time “setting the table”

Setting the table Building organizational capacity with a deliberate mix: Private businesses and associations Non-profit organizations Public entities

Activities that Engage Keep the supporters you have Cultivate champions Strengthen agency work Technical Finance Community engagement Host outreach and education events Use free media

2010 City of Austin Solving real problems $400 million bond election for Phase One of urban rail and more.

Lessons An all-volunteer “staff” has severe limitations Success is easy with a “real” Solution, Leadership, Organization, and Demand Setting the table in advance really helps Each activity takes more time and resources than you expect

Want more? Makes it easy to listen, talk, and participate. A4PT Website A4PT Friending Alliance-For-Public-Transportation/ ?ref=ts A4PT A4PT newsletter Sign-up on website Got questions? Transitalliance(at)gmail.com

Livable Communities Coalition Coalition Building in Metro Atlanta Ray Christman Executive Director

Livable Communities Coalition History Created 2005 Born from and rooted in business community – Metro Atlanta Chamber Quality Growth Task Force –Legacy: Civic public partnership –Business power to convene, fund But extensive outreach to greater metropolitan community

Livable Communities Coalition Responding to a need Development consuming 55 acres a day Non-attainment for air quality; loss of highway funds threatened Top five in U.S. for length of commute, congestion costs (time and fuel wasted) Labor pool shrinking Housing price gap (mean income to mean price) worsened by cost of commute

Livable Communities Coalition Rule of thirds One-third business community representatives –Cousins Properties (Atl-based REIT) –Georgia Power –John Wieland Homes –Wachovia –Jordan, Jones & Goulding –BellSouth (before sale to AT&T)

Livable Communities Coalition Rule of thirds (2) One-third government representatives –Georgia Municipal Association –Ga Department of Community Affairs –Atlanta Regional Commission –City of Atlanta –Cobb County Commission –Ga House of Representatives

Livable Communities Coalition Rule of thirds (3) One-third civic leadership Georgia Conservancy East Cobb Civic Association Blank Family Foundation King & Spalding Trust for Public Land Alston & Bird

Livable Communities Coalition Livable Community Coalition Government drops out because of advocacy Environmental interests added –Sierra Club, The Clean Air Campaign, Southface, Park Pride, Atlanta Regional Health Forum Neighborhood/housing interests added –ANDP, Ga Affordable Housing Coalition

Livable Communities Coalition Advocacy added –Citizens for Progressive Transit –Alliance for Quality Growth –Council for Quality Growth –Center for Quality Growth (Ga Tech) –Congress for the New Urbanism –PEDS

Livable Communities Coalition Responding to a need MARTA: Once the model for South, now running on fumes, facing $120M annual deficit “Solutions” growing outlandish – tunnel under Atlanta Minimal suburban transit network collapsing: Clayton closing, Express bus service runs out of funds next year Polls show public ahead of leadership in wanting transit

Livable Communities Coalition Transit Advocacy Campaign Big-tent model Groups at the table range from biggest transit provider and DOT to ACT Now! citizens group representing transit- dependent riders Clear delineation of roles: –LCC responsible for proposal to funders –But LCC can’t win without help, participation –Shared vision, goal is only practical approach

Livable Communities Coalition Lessons learned Rally to a need and/or vision Stretch the tent – business, government, civic, and citizen leaders Build a foundation for education (research, polling, analysis) Be patient: Two-phase education –Help people understand the need/problem –The remedy

Livable Communities Coalition Lessons learned (2) Make more friends than enemies Pick issues/actions that build on shared values (e.g., for LCC, a concern about deteriorating quality of life and business competitiveness) for coalition members

Livable Communities Coalition Lessons learned (3) Be for something more than you are against something –LCC doesn’t like sprawl, but it is more pro-smart growth than anti-sprawl –Transit campaign is pro-transit, not anti-road –LCC is pro-smart growth and development, not anti- growth and development Positive strategy creates, keeps important allies (e.g., Greater Atlanta Home Builders Assn., Metro Chamber)

Livable Communities Coalition Lessons learned (4) Include people early –People who are at the table early are part of the discussion –After direction is set, you’re preaching to them Keep lines of communication open, active –Four Advisory Committee meetings annually –Twice monthly communications (Letter from Executive Director, e-News)

Livable Communities Coalition Coalition Building in Metro Atlanta Ray Christman Executive Director

Citizens for Modern Transit Citizens for Modern Transit St. Louis, Missouri Thomas R. Shrout, Jr. Executive Director

Citizens for Modern Transit Environment of St. Louis Early 80s Dramatic drop of population in the core –Rapid suburbanization Unpopular Transit Agency with declining bus ridership Political Rivalries

Citizens for Modern Transit Why CMT? Common vision that great cities develop around transit Desire to build light rail, but … Only NIMBs speak at public meetings Low creditability of transit agency

Citizens for Modern Transit Incorporated in (c) 3 –limited lobbying Independent Board –no vested interests

Citizens for Modern Transit Shared Vision Improved public transit A rail component A vision for a revitalized downtown and older neighborhoods

Citizens for Modern Transit Building the organization CMT is pro rail -- not anti highway CMT is pro development around rail -- not anti sprawl CMT is pro additional funding for transit – not anti-highway funding

Citizens for Modern Transit Who might join? Business Vested interests. suppliers -- rail, bus, architects/engineers businesses along the proposed line people/businesses interested in downtown

Citizens for Modern Transit Who might join? Other vested interests Unions –Construction/Trades –Electrical –Elevator –Laborers –Sheet metal workers –carpenters

Citizens for Modern Transit Who might join? Disadvantaged Dlderly – AARP, Oasis, Ten Toe Participants Disabled– Paraquad Faith based organizations Organizations of people of color

Citizens for Modern Transit Who might join? Do-gooders? trolley/train/Amtrak enthusiasts planners artists joiners, community volunteers, members of other organizations

Citizens for Modern Transit Groups that are hard to motivate transit agency employees bus riders poor

Citizens for Modern Transit What you can do form a speakers bureau take trips to other cities and talk with community leaders and ordinary citizens take a noon time bus trip of a proposed alignment involve volunteers -- hand out literature raise money -- hire a staff

Citizens for Modern Transit Trips to other cities

Citizens for Modern Transit Special Events

Citizens for Modern Transit Visiting Dignitaries

Citizens for Modern Transit Building Partnerships

Citizens for Modern Transit Raise money - Big Business Civic Progress –$50, –$65, –$75, –$90, –$125, –$25,

Citizens for Modern Transit Membership Revenue 1988$14, $25, $68,000

Citizens for Modern Transit Grants and Contracts $ $125, $ 500, $2.5 million

Citizens for Modern Transit In Kind Help Incorporation papers Tax Returns graphic design/printing Dinners/receptions Web design

Citizens for Modern Transit What’s the budget? 1987 CMT Budget Income Civic Progress$85,000 Membership$15,000 Total $ 100,000.0

Citizens for Modern Transit Budget: 1987 Expenses Expenses –Rent$10,500 –Travel & Entert.$4,300 –Supplies$2,500 –Marketing $6,500 –Printing$11,500 –Personnel$58,000 –Consultants$6,000 –Other$700 Total$100,000

Citizens for Modern Transit Recruiting a board? Downtown Developer Public Relations Executive with union ties residential redeveloper Union Station redeveloper university executives museum president architect real estate sales persons trolley enthusiasts minority business persons attorneys suburban mayors Industrialist

Citizens for Modern Transit Recruiting a Champion Mayor Schoemehl Bill Maritz Hal Dean

Citizens for Modern Transit Achieving the result MetroLink opened in 1993 Second line opened in 2001 Third Line opened in 2006 Development occurring around Stations

Citizens for Modern Transit New Development Near Rail

Citizens for Modern Transit St. Louis Transit Alliance Coalition of 50 organizations to work for passage of Prop A, half-cent sales tax for public transit

Citizens for Modern Transit Working with a Coalition Develop a narrow agenda Be prepared to listen and accept the ideas of others Be prepared to be asked to devote energy to another cause of a coalition member Keep your eye on the goal

Citizens for Modern Transit High Ridership

Citizens for Modern Transit New Multi-Modal Center

Citizens for Modern Transit Multi-Modal Center

Citizens for Modern Transit Streetcar effort

Citizens for Modern Transit Transit and Health

Citizens for Modern Transit CMT in the Legislature 1994 – authorization for ½-cent local sales tax 1996 – First State Funding of Transit 2006 – Authorization for Full-Cent local sales tax 2007 – Passed motor fuel tax exemption for transit vehicles

Citizens for Modern Transit Referendum Victory

Citizens for Modern Transit Promotional Materials

Citizens for Modern Transit Charette

Citizens for Modern Transit New MetroLink Riders 21% former bus riders 79% New to public transit

Citizens for Modern Transit Bus & Rail Auto Ownership

Citizens for Modern Transit Where do MetroLink Customers Go?

Citizens for Modern Transit Who are the Customers?

Citizens for Modern Transit Summary There are benefits of rail that busses cannot provide –Development -- $15 Billion and Counting –The core is stabilized and growing –Attraction of choice riders to transit This is a long term commitment –11 years from the time people began meeting until the first train ran –Identify a champion

Citizens for Modern Transit Summary You have to be united –Business Community –Elected officials –Transit Agency –MPO –Activists –Voters

State Associations & Advocacy Important role in solidifying state base Better understanding of state politics Communicate federal policies to state Advocate on behalf of state to federal level Service oriented, state solutions

Questions & Discussion

Six Stops to Success Putting your Transportation Message in Service 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 and to register, visit Program-at-a-Glance 9:00 am Welcome & Introductions 9:15 am Election 2008: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions 10:30 am Marketing & Media Strategies that Work 11:45 amLunch & Keynote Presentation 1:30 pm Building the Transit Vote Coalition 2:30 pm California Statewide Measure 4:00 pmWorkshop Adjourns

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)