CATS LYNX Blue Line Extension

Target Audience: Residents, businesses, commuters, and college students along the 9.8 mile extension of the LYNX Blue Line Light Rail.

Strategy Objective:To implement a multi-media campaign that included print, billboard, radio, digital, web, and social media to communicate the connectivity, consistent travel time, and the cost savings of using the new LYNX Blue Line Extension. A "Coming Soon" Campaign was implemented from January ' March 15, 2018; then the campaign transitioned into "Now Open" on March 16, 2018.

Situation Challenge: To generate market awareness of the opening of the LYNX Blue Line Extension on March 16, 2018. The LYNX Blue Line Extension is the continuation of the LYNX Blue Line Light Rail Service and increased the light rail line by 9.8 miles from Charlotte's Center City to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Campus.

Results Impact: After one month of operation, the LYNX Blue Line experienced a 48% increase in ridership with the opening of the Blue Line Extension. After one month of service, average weekday ridership increased by 38% and Saturday ridership increased by 107%. Total media impressions for the campaign was 45.7M. The Snapchat filter was seen by nearly 200K users. The First to Ride social media contest reached over 23,000 people on Facebook and over 50,000 on Twitter

Why Submit: Since opening on March 16, 2018, ridership on the LYNX Blue Line has remained strong, averaging over 26,000 weekday riders. This represents a 62.8% increase in ridership the first six months of operation. It's also the first light rail service in the state to have a station on a college campus, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.