Seattle Department of Transportation – Flip Your Trip
The closure of the West Seattle bridge forced many community members to take alternative routes during construction. All the while, public transit options were available and massively underutilized.
In partnership with Velocia, SDOT sought to increase, and maintain, transit usage during and after the closure.
The challenge
The closure of the West Seattle bridge created a great deal of congestion on roads and highways that forced community members to take alternative routes. All the while, public transit options were available and massively underutilized.
The solution
Working with Velocia, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) created the Flip Your Trip initiative to encourage public transportation use during the West Seattle Bridge Closure.
During the 12 months the bridge was closed, the Flip Your Trip initiative ran incentive programs that provided riders with free transit tickets and discounts off scooters and bike shares.
When the bridge reopened, the Ticket Streak Campaign was run to determine if rewards could keep riders on public transit.
How it works
Tailored targets
Riders are segmented by average ticket activation per week and assigned a target to earn rewards, based on current ridership patterns.
Rare riders
Average rides taken: 0 – 1/week
Target rides to earn rewards: 2/week
Frequent riders
Average rides taken: 4 – 5/week
Target rides to earn rewards: 6/week
Daily commuters
Average rides taken: 6 – 7/week
Target rides to earn rewards: 8/week
Scaling reward amounts
When riders achieved their targets, they were advanced to a higher earning level for the following week, with scaling incentives.
The results
Increased ridership and high retention rates
30%
of riders increased their transit usage.
47%
of trips were taken by net new riders
55%
of riders in the program continued to use public transit after the bridge reopened
Findings
- Tailored rider segmentation can meaningfully influence rider behaviors.
- Segmentation is an effective tool to influence multiple rider persons within a single program and campaign structure
Driving impact through transit solutions
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