Presentation from Stephanie Vance, Program Manager, CFTE

Topics

What is CFTE? Resources Available

– Personnel– Events– Website

Specifics: State-by-State Database Specifics: Factoid Database Specifics: Responding to Critics Top Five List for Transit Initiatives Becoming Involved!

What is CFTE?

CFTE is a clearinghouse of information on public transportation and its benefits in promoting more livable communities. Its goals are to:

Defend the merits of transit Provide local leaders with the information they need to promote transit in their communities

Resources: Our Board

American Public Transportation Association Parsons Brickerhoff New Starts Working Group Surface Transportation Policy Project

Resources: Personnel

Stephanie Vance, Program Manager– Former Staff Director for Congressman Earl

Blumenauer and the House Livable Communities Taskforce

– Founder and Principal of AdVanced Consulting Jeremy Gunderson, Program Associate

– Has worked with a range of groups on transportation / livability issues, including STPP, the Delta Institute and the City of Alexandria.

Resources: Events

Triumphs for Transit Conference in Phoenix/Tempe, AZ

Dec, 7-9, 2003. Based upon a highly

successful 2001 conference in San Jose, this event is designed to equip local groups with the tools they need to be successful at the ballot box.

Resources: Website

The CFTE site is chock-full of resources, including:

– State-by-state database of transit initiatives and resources

– Factoids database– “Responding to Critics”

package– Briefings on current issues,

glossary, profiles, recent reports, daily news stories and more

Website: State-by-State Database

Click on your state to find:– Information on past transit

initiatives– Evolving database on

current / future efforts– Advocacy groups– Media outlets– Ballot information– 2002 Federal transportation

spending

Please keep us up-to-date on your efforts!

Resources: Factoid Database

Text-Searchable database of factoids on transportation issues

Example: “Drivers in one-third of U.S.

cities spend more than 40 hours a year (an entire work week) in traffic that is not moving.”

We are constantly adding, so please send us YOUR best facts!

Resources: Responding to Critics

Responding to critics section includes:

– Overview of “what the critics always say” and the best responses

– List of the critics– Template LTEs, Op-Eds

and Resolutions– Information on submitting

LTEs for the top 100 newspapers in the US

– Offline assistance

Let’s look at some examples…

Responding to Critics“Light rail cannot displace the same or a greater

number of automobile passengers”

This argument inaccurately compares the capacity of highways and rail transit to move passengers.  A look at any transportation engineering manual will tell otherwise.  According to the Highway Capacity Manual, [i] highway operations are described as Level of Service (LOS), ranging from LOS A to LOS F.  Peak highway capacity is typically regarded as LOS E (2,000 passenger cars per hour per lane).  If you multiply that number by the Average Vehicle Occupancy (AVO) which averages 1.25 persons, you get 2,500 persons per lane per hour on a highway.  For transit, a typical 6 car train can carry 750 passengers.  Running at 20 trains per hour, per direction, that equates to 30,000 passengers.  It would take a twelve lane freeway going in one direction to equate the same amount of capacity of one light rail line. [ii]

Beware, critics like to make inaccurate comparisons between maximum highway capacities and actual light rail ridership numbers.

Responding to Critics“Only 2% of trips are on transit”

This statistic is not an accurate method of determining the success of light rail. It is not a measure of transit or commute trips.  Rather, this figure accounts for all trips in the region, 24 hours a day, including freight trips. 

A more accurate assessment can be made by looking at the percentage of “transit-competitive” trips, those trips that are competitive to the automobile, in both time and convenience.  Transit-competitive trips are generally between 22-40% in favor of transit.  In areas that are not served by transit, the only option is to drive, which, in part explains the high percentage of commutes by automobile.

Resources: Additional Website Info.

Briefings on current issues (find one on BRT under the “trends” link)

Searchable glossary Daily news stories Success story profiles

Coming soon! (Under Construction)

“How to” manuals on setting up a conference in your community

Effective advocacy resources

Journalist guide … and whatever else

YOU suggest!

Transit Initiatives: Top Five List Points

5. Transit initiative votes aren’t always about transit

Many elections seeking transit funding are more influenced by other variables such as the economy, government interest, etc., than support for public transit.

Transit Initiatives: Top Five List Points

4. You need to involve everyone Professionals Grassroots / Citizens Businesses Policymakers The works!The most successful election campaigns had grassroots election support as well as professional management.

Transit Initiatives: Top Five List Points

3. Benefits, Benefits, Benefits

You’re more likely to win if you can answer the question, specifically, “what’s in it for me”?

One new resource: TTI report coming out tomorrow that will, for the first time, quantify the amount of time public transportation saves the public on a community-by-community basis.

http:/mobility.tamu.edu/ums

Transit Initiatives: Top Five List Points

2. Listen and Learn

Involve the community early and demonstrate YOUR accountability.

Transit Initiatives: Top Five List Points

1. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

Most urban areas go the voters more than once before a dedicated revenue source for transit is established.

Get Involved!

Sign up for the newsletter Save the Date: Dec. 7th – 9th for “Triumphs for

Transit”, our Conference on transit initiatives Let us know through our chat room or e-mail (

info@cfte.org) what resources would be useful for you!

Please let us know of initiatives in your area!

The Most Important Thing to Remember

Tell us how we can help you!

info@cfte.org

(202) 244-3405

www.cfte.org