Transit Agencies Cultivate Customer Base to Grow Rail Ridership

Even with falling gas prices, which usually mean a drop in transit ridership, some transit agencies are sill maintaining high ridership numbers. Examples include Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul adding special lines to their ballpark along with a website detailing directions with multiple modes of transportation; Seattle’s Sound Transit's extensive marketing campaign with narrowly targeted advertising; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s Rail Rewards customer loyalty program combined with revenue-generating advertising opportunities for sponsors; employer discount programs like those in Minneapolis, Southern Florida and elsewhere; and the Port Authority of Allegheny County's efforts to improve service by reducing the number routes and reducing the number of stops on each route.