building a winning coalition friday, february 19, 2010

Building a Winning CoalitionFriday, 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 www.cfte.org or www.napta.net

Upcoming Webinars

California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop

Sacramento, CAMarch 9, 2010

Sheraton Grand HotelThis 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 www.cfte.org.

Program-at-a-Glance9:00 am Welcome & Introductions9:15 am Election 2008: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions10:30 am Marketing & Media Strategies that Work11:45 am Lunch & Keynote Presentation1:30 pm Building the Transit Vote Coalition2:30 pm California Statewide Measure4:00 pm Workshop 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 Consultingcreative marketing and engagement strategies

Move Me LLCdemand 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 2004• 62% 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 Websitewww.allianceforpublictransportation.org

• A4PT Friendinghttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/

Alliance-For-Public-Transportation/93927129210?ref=ts

• A4PT Tweets@tomtransit

• A4PT E-mail newsletterSign-up on website

Got questions? Transitalliance(at)gmail.com

Livable Communities Coalition

Coalition Building in Metro Atlanta

Ray Christman

Executive Director

Livable Communities CoalitionHistory

• 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 CoalitionResponding 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


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 CoalitionRule 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 CoalitionRule 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 CoalitionLivable 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 CoalitionLivable 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 CoalitionResponding 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 CoalitionTransit 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 CoalitionLessons 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 CoalitionLessons 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


• 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)


• 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)


Coalition Building in Metro Atlanta

Ray Christman

Executive Director

Citizens for Modern Transit

Citizens for Modern TransitSt. Louis, Missouri

Thomas R. Shrout, Jr.Executive Director


Environment of St. Louis Early 80s

• Dramatic drop of population in the core– Rapid suburbanization

• Unpopular Transit Agency with declining bus ridership

• Political Rivalries


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


Incorporated in 1985• 501 (c) 3

– limited lobbying

• Independent Board – no vested interests


Shared Vision

• Improved public transit

• A rail component• A vision for a

revitalized downtown and older neighborhoods


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


Who might join? Business Vested interests.

• suppliers -- rail, bus,

• architects/engineers

• businesses along the proposed line

• people/businesses interested in downtown


Who might join? Other vested interests

• Unions– Construction/Trades– Electrical– Elevator– Laborers– Sheet metal workers– carpenters


Who might join? Disadvantaged

• Dlderly – AARP, Oasis, Ten Toe Participants

• Disabled– Paraquad

• Faith based organizations

• Organizations of people of color


Who might join? Do-gooders?

• trolley/train/Amtrak enthusiasts

• planners

• artists

• joiners, community volunteers, members of other organizations


Groups that are hard to motivate

• transit agency employees

• bus riders

• poor


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


Trips to other cities


Special Events


Visiting Dignitaries


Building Partnerships


Raise money - Big Business• Civic Progress

– $50,000 - 1985– $65,000 - 1986– $75,000 - 1987– $90,000 - 1988 - 1993– $125,000 1993 - 1999– $25,000 - 1999


Membership Revenue• 1988$14,000

• 1992$25,000

• 2009$68,000


Grants and Contracts

• 1985 - 1995 - $0

• 1996 $125,000

• 2001- 04 $ 500,000

• 2007 -10 $2.5 million


In Kind Help• Incorporation papers

• Tax Returns

• graphic design/printing

• Dinners/receptions

• Web design


What’s the budget?• 1987 CMT Budget

• Income

• Civic Progress $85,000

• Membership $15,000

• Total $ 100,000.0


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


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


Recruiting a Champion

• Mayor Schoemehl• Bill Maritz• Hal Dean


Achieving the result

• MetroLink opened in 1993

• Second line opened in 2001

• Third Line opened in 2006

• Development occurring around Stations


New Development Near Rail


St. Louis Transit Alliance

• Coalition of 50 organizations to work for passage of Prop A, half-cent sales tax for public 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


High Ridership


New Multi-Modal Center


Multi-Modal Center


Streetcar effort


Transit and Health


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


Referendum Victory


Promotional Materials


Charette


New MetroLink Riders

New Transit Riders

Former Bus Riders

21% former bus riders

79% New to public transit


Bus & Rail Auto OwnershipBus & Rail Auto Ownership

40%

32%

18%

7%3%

8%

24%

45%

16%

7%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

none One Car Two Cars ThreeCars

4+

Bus

Train


Where do MetroLink Customers Go?

Where do MetroLink Customers Go?

Recreation20%

Work53%

Shopping9%

Personal Business

6%

Other10%

School2%


Who are the Customers?Who are the Customers?

Madison County

4%

St. Clair County

19%St. Charles

County8%

St. Louis County

40%

St. Louis City29%


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


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 www.cfte.org or www.napta.net

Upcoming Webinars

California Transit Initiatives Training Workshop

Sacramento, CAMarch 9, 2010

Sheraton Grand HotelThis 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 www.cfte.org.

Program-at-a-Glance9:00 am Welcome & Introductions9:15 am Election 2008: Winning Campaigns & Effective Coalitions10:30 am Marketing & Media Strategies that Work11:45 am Lunch & Keynote Presentation1:30 pm Building the Transit Vote Coalition2:30 pm California Statewide Measure4:00 pm Workshop 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 ([email protected]) for more information

For More Information on CFTE:[email protected]

(202) 234-7562

For More Information on NAPTA:[email protected](202) 496-4807

building a winning coalition friday, february 19, 2010

Documents

transportation message

modern transit

pm building

biannual transit initiatives

transit vote coalition2

communities conference

needs of communities

real solution