Xpress Campaign Educates Riders on Move to New Fare Cards

Target Audience: The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) operates Xpress, a commuter coach transit service with 27 routes in 12 metro Atlanta counties that carries more than 1.8 million passenger trips, annually. The Authority developed and launched a comprehensive campaign to companies and organizations that buy Xpress passes in bulk, general customers and Xpress partners about the transition from magnetic tickets to the Breeze Card by Dec. 31, 2018. In addition to educating stakeholders about migration from magnetic tickets to smart cards, the campaign sought to decrease magnetic ticket sales and increase Breeze Card sales and usage by riders. Campaign components included: - Board Approval - Customers Using Breeze Cards - Transition - Magnetic Sales Cease - Magnetic Tickets No Longer Accepted

Strategy Objective:In partnership with an outside consulting firm, Jones Worley Design, SRTA launched a three-phase campaign to educate riders about the change ' an announcement that the magnetic tickets were moving to Breeze followed by reminders of the magnetic ticket purchase cutoff deadline and the deadline by which magnetic tickets must be used.The outreach included public meetings, signage on the coaches, the lots where riders board and retail centers where tickets are sold, website alerts, emails to newsletter subscribers, news releases, information shared at outreach events, information shared with area businesses and colleges that purchase tickets for their employees and students, social media, and FAQs for drivers to provide customers and for employees in the Customer Service Center.

Situation Challenge: SRTA is building a better regional transit experience for Xpress customers by migrating from magnetic tickets to smart card technology with the Breeze card, which is also used by partnering transit authorities - the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), CobbLinc and Gwinnett County. The challenge was to transition riders who use magnetic tickets to the Breeze Card, while simultaneously educating all stakeholders about the transition, how to obtain/purchase and use the Breeze card, as well as key cutoff dates for the sell and use of magnetic tickets.

Results Impact: As illustrated by SRTA's world-famous Breezometer, sales of magnetic tickets steadily decreased as the three phases of the campaign were launched. In January 2018, prior to any outreach, 25 percent of riders purchased magnetics. In May, after outreach began, that percentage dropped to 14. The latest results from October show that SRTA reached its goal to end sales in August 2018. Comparatively, sales for Breeze cards increased to 61 percent in January to 72 percent in May and 84 percent in October. SRTA also saw slight increases in cash sales.

Why Submit: With 1.8 million passenger boardings a year, it was vital that SRTA educate riders about the migration from magnetic tickets to Breeze cards. The campaign involved multiple components and several SRTA departments working together to ensure riders were aware of the change, understood where to purchase Breeze Cards and how to use them. Statistics show that the campaign was successful. Xpress magnetic ticket sales steadily declined prior to the cut-off purchase date, and Breeze card sales increased month over month.