Metro St. Louis Forest Park Trolley Campaign

Target Audience: The target audiences for the Forest Park Trolley campaign were St. Louis locals looking to be a tour guide for the day with friends who are visiting from out of town, or tourists interested in seeing some of the 14 venues in the park area.

Strategy Objective:To raise awareness and ridership of the Forest Park Trolley, St. Louis Metro developed several new tools, including a brochure, counter card, billboards with an extension, poster, print ad, and information sheet listing connection times to the neighboring Debaliviere MetroLink light rail station. Messaging included promotions for discounted pricing, service dates, hours and attractions on the Trolley route. The 2018 season also included "Ride Free Sundays" sponsored by Forest Park.

Situation Challenge: The challenge for the Forest Park Trolley campaign was to raise ridership and awareness of the annual summer Forest Park Trolley, which only runs a limited time each year, from May through September. The trolley is available thanks to a partnership between Metro Transit, Forest Park Forever, and entertainment venues within the park like Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Science Center, and St. Louis Zoo.

Results Impact: In 2018, the Forest Park Trolley ran eight days shorter than 2017 but had a 19% ridership increase with 9,211 additional riders. "Ride Free Sundays" helped increased ridership both on Sundays and during the week, and attracted new riders to the trolley and park.

Why Submit: Despite a shortened time frame, Metro was still able to significantly increase ridership on the Forest Park Trolley through a fun and youthful campaign. Public perception of the program was also enhanced thanks to strong partnerships with well-respected organizations within the park grounds.