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T4 presentation final
1. Transit Advocacy:
Building Broad Coalitions
Rachel DiResto
Executive Vice President of Center for Planning Excellence
Broderick Bagert
Lead Organizer, Together Baton Rouge (Industrial Areas Foundation)
2. • Baton Rouge has one of the lowest-funded
and worst-performing transit systems in
the country
• Capital Area Transit System (CATS) holds
a parishwide election in 2010. It fails 47%
to 53%.
• 2011: FuturEBR, a new comprehensive
land-use plan for the Parish, put transit as
crucial first-step toward long-term plan.
• By 2012, CATS would face a major short-
fall, and would either have to cut service
hours by 46% or shut down entirely in July.
Background
3. • In Feb 2011, Mayor Kip Holden asked
Together Baton Rouge and the Baton
Rouge Chamber to form a Blue Ribbon
Commission (BRC) on public transit.
• The BRC was charged with the following
items:
– Pulling together existing data and studies
– Gathering extensive community input
– Creating concrete plan of action for transit,
including funding and political strategy
– Considering all other factors that would impact
FUTUREBR implementation and transit
sustainability
Background
4. • In 2008, a group of black churches
began building a broad-based,
community organizing project.
• In 2010, “Together Baton Rouge”
launched, with 40 member institutions
representing about 50,000 people.
• Called “A new force in the community”
(The Advocate) and “the largest group
of its kind I have ever seen in the city-
parish” (Mayor Kip Holden).
• Goal: Power and sophistication for the
citizen sector.
Background: a stronger, citizen sector
5. Broad community representation – no
politicos or ideologues
• Study based on “peer cities”, to
show how Baton Rouge stacks up
(poorly!) and how other places
have built solid transit systems.
• Reform options framed to
encourage aggressive but
politically realistic action.
• Concluded with concrete plan, with
data, analysis and political
strategy, which became campaign
Blue Ribbon Commission
6. Blue Ribbon Commission
• Recommendation 1 – Implement Transit Proposal Focused on
Ridership Expansion
• Recommendation 2 – Support New Public Transit Board
Member Nominating Process and Criteria
• Recommendation 3 – Overhaul Existing Public Transit
Legislation, Reforming Governance Structure and Creating
New Capital Area Transit District
• Recommendation 4 – Create a Dedicated Revenue Source for
Transit
• Recommendation 5 – Launch Public Engagement Campaign
and Election Drive
8. • CATS – not a trusted, reputable
agency
• CATS budget shortfall – system
predicted to shut down in July 2012
• Campaign timeline shifted from Fall
2012 to April 2012
• Single issue campaign – other
risks/issues
Campaign Baggage
9. Campaign Components
Decrease wait times from the current average of 75 minutes to 15-20 minutes
Build 3 new transit hubs to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system
Overhaul bus stops, with new shelters and benches
Add GPS tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones
Overhaul all signage for transit stops, providing detailed route and time information
Increase service from 19 to 37 routes, expanding to high-demand areas that
currently are not served (eg. O’Neal Lane, Coursey Blvd., Essen and Siegen
Lane)
Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 57
Create 3 New Express Lines: Downtown to LSU; Florida Blvd (from Airline to
Downtown); Plank Road (with service to Airport)
10. Baton Rouge Transit Coalition
• BRC fulfilled its mission in 3 months, but
many partners wanted to stay engaged
• BRAC, CPEX, Together BR and CATS held
regular working meetings
• Fundraising efforts
• Developed legislative components
• Secured support by business, civic, faith
and non-profit leaders
• Developed website with facts and research
11. An amendment to the CATS enabling statute and the City-Parish
transit ordinance drafted that would create specific transit board
member criteria such as leaders from education, healthcare,
planning, human service organizations, transit users
An amendment to the CATS enabling statute and the City-Parish
transit ordinance was drafted that would create a transit board
member nominating committee and process
Amendments to the CATS enabling statute and the local transit
ordinance have been drafted to remove the Metro Council’s
veto over CATS operations
Governance
12. How we won
Step #1: Built the organization
before the fight (Power before
program).
Built the organization before
the transit campaign began.
Developed trust through
“house meetings” and smaller
local issue actions.
Built base of hard money
(dues and individual support).
CORE ISSUE: DISTRUST ACROSS RACIAL LINES
13. How we won
Step #2: Huge campaign of citizen education
(Civic Academies)
Developed BRC analysis into compelling
presentation.
Trained team of leaders to conduct “civic academy”
sessions.
Conducted (with partner orgs) 120 separate events,
reaching more than 5,000 people.
Education sessions CHANGED THE DIALOGUE.
14. Step #3: Building the infrastructure to
get out the vote.
Built a GOTV army through Civic
Academies and 1000-person
assembly.
Conducted detailed voter analysis.
Precinct leadership structure and
precinct teams.
Intense, 5-weeks of GOTV (walks,
phone calls, pews, yard signs).
How we won
16. • This was a campaign led by civic sector – diverse partners
• Know your partners roles and capacities
• Communication is key
• Did not waver from components – voters knew what they were buying
• Outreach, outreach, and more outreach
• Respond to opponents – but don’t waste energy
• Focus on win – who will vote
Lessons Learned
