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ORANGE COUNTY ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORATION BOARD (OUTBoard) ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date:November 18, 2016 Action Agenda Item No. 5b SUBJECT: Marketing OPT’s Route and Service Changes DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N)N ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1.OPT Route Brochures 2.OPT One Page Flyer Peter Murphy, Transportation Administrator, 919- 245-2002 Max Bushell, Transportation Planner, 919-245- 2582 PURPOSE:To discuss the new Orange Public Transportation (OPT) route brochures and flyer and suggest sites to place new materials. BACKGROUND: At its August 17th meeting, the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) and Transit Services Group requested some information on current marketing initiatives at Orange Public Transportation. Marketing Materials In order to address service changes to routes, Orange County Transportation Planning staff has created two tri-fold brochures for OPT, one for the Hillsborough Circulator and the other for the Orange-Chapel Hill Midday Connector route. Each brochure contains a route map, timetable, riding tips, and supplemental information. The brochures are provided in Attachment 1. Additionally, staff created a flyer to provide more information about using OPT services, which can be found in Attachment 2. These materials have been reviewed by OPT staff. Information Dissemination In order to inform the public about OPT services, the brochures and flyer should be placed at strategic locations around Orange County. Staff brainstormed some locations for the new materials, including on OPT buses, at high-ridership stops, at County Human Services facilities such as the Health Department and the Senior Center, at civic centers, and at the Orange County Visitor Center. Staff would welcome suggestions for locations to place the materials from the OUTBoard/Transit Services Group. OPT has approximately $3,000 per year to spend on marketing. New Technologies While paper brochures and flyers are useful tools in any transit marketer’s toolbox, transit users are increasingly looking to online sources to find information about transit. In particular, integration with Google Maps, other route planning software, and associated apps, e.g. Waze, etc., can reach audiences that may not traditionally consider riding transit. Additionally, the implementation of new fareboxes on OPT buses can allow for seamless integration with other transit systems via the regional GoPass. This is achieved through 23