GET Campaign to Educate Youth Riders

Target Audience: The Golden Empire Transit District's (GET) 2018 Halloween Bus/Reading Express represents a special event developed for families in Bakersfield, California. GET targeted families and child care centers as a way to increase public awareness about GET service and promote GET as a strong partner in the Bakersfield community.

Strategy Objective:By introducing the bus to young people, GET sought to capture their families as daily riders. GET contracted local artist Al Mendez to provide original drawings to be placed on the 2018 Halloween/Reading Express bus. From beginning to end, the artwork took nearly four weeks to complete. Once the mural was set, GET displayed the traveling work of art all over Bakersfield. The Halloween bus provided a "Safe Halloween" trick-or-treating spot for children living in the community. GET staff dressed up like the characters depicted on the bus to help reinforce the art and bring the experience to life.

Situation Challenge: In 2016, fifty-four percent of surveyed GET riders indicated an annual household income of less than $15,000. GET recognized the importance of giving back to this large ridership group in a meaningful way by expanding access to art and literacy among current and potential riders. This connection to art helps build a positive image of public transit and attracts "choice riders."

Results Impact: After Halloween, the bus turned into a "Reading Express," a traveling library that in 2018 visited 20 daycare facilities and Head Start programs engaging children with the artwork on the bus and promoting literacy. GET staff used the opportunity to distribute custom GET coloring books which provided a step-by-step description of how to ride GET.

Why Submit: GET finds unique and engaging ways to incorporate art into the public transportation that serves Bakersfield. Efforts such as the Halloween Bus/Reading Express advance art and literacy programs in a community that has limited access to such resources. This special event helps promote GET as a positive influence in the community and attracts potential "choice riders" who may have never considered public transit as an alternative to driving a personal vehicle.