The "Try the Bus on Us" Program's objective was to reduce automobile trips by increasing ridership on Foothill Transit. This was accomplished by offering free rides on any Foothill Transit bus for up to four (4) months to single occupant commuters at worksites with fewer than 250 employees. The campaign was designed with a trial usage aspect and highlighted the benefits of continued usage after the subsidy. The Program was marketed through employment sites; participating employers were provided self-service kits that included brochures and applications, flyers, displays, and a fax-back response form for further assistance. Upon approval of a commuter's application to the Program, Foothill Transit issued a Metrocard, similar to a prepaid phone card, which could be used immediately. Participants were required to submit monthly travel logs to record their transit use. As a result of the Program, a total of 326 applications were received. After an initial review, 125 were rejected for not meeting specified criteria, and 201 were processed by Foothill Transit. A total of 201 Metrocards were issued with an initial value of $33.00. This represents 57% of the proposed goal of 350 participants. The average one-way trip for participants was 17 miles. Those who used the bus to commute to work during the project logged a total of 6,13 days. This equated to an average of 30 days per participant. Total VMT reduction was 207,842 miles.
177600.00
Commuters within the Foothill Transit service area benefited directly from this incentive program. However, the entire South Coast region benefits from the reduction in VMT and automobile emissions resulting from this project.
The estimated annual emission reductions attributable to this project are as follows: Reactive Organic Gases (ROG): 489 pounds Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): 687 pounds Carbon Monoxide (CO/7): 526 pounds Particulate Matter (PM10): 276 pounds
The Final Report is very detailed and includes a thorough discussoin of project implementation procedures and results. The report also includes copies of the marketing materials developed and distributed during project implementation.