Portland SmartTrips
PBIC   Oct 21.2018

Introduction

In 2002 the Portland Office of Transportation brought the individualized marketing program Travel Smart to the United States from Australia and Europe to reduce drive-alone trips and increase walking, bicycling, transit, and carpool trips.The pilot project was conducted in 2003 with 600 households; a large-scale project with 6,100 households followed in 2004.

After working with the Travel Smart architects Social Data America for these two projects, Portland modified the program to reduce costs, add hands-on experiential activities, and extend the contact period with residents to a longer, eight-month dialogue. The result was Smart Trips.

Reason to Be Selected

Smart Trips was designated a Landmark that focused on Individualized Marketing efforts and incorporated an innovative and targeted communication strategy to help new residents develop environmentally-friendly and active transportation habits. As a result, the city’s new residents took 10% fewer drive-alone trips and the proportion of their trips taken by green and active methods increased by 14%. This comprehensive approach includes a strong evaluation design and targeted social marketing strategies.

Highlights:

Smart Trips is a comprehensive approach to reduce drive-alone trips and increase biking,walking, and public transit in targeted geographic areas of the city. It incorporates an innovative and highly effective individualized marketing methodology, which hand-delivers packets of information to residents who wish to learn more about all their transportation options including transit,walking, bicycling, carpooling, car sharing, and combining trips. Key components feature biking and walking maps and organized activities that get people out in their neighborhoods or places of employment to shop, work, and discover how many trips they can easily, conveniently, and safely make with out using a car. Success is tracked by evaluating qualitative and quantitative results from surveys and other performance measures.

Details

The project has five primary goals:1)reducing drive alone trips;2)reducing vehicle miles driven by area residents and employees;3)increasing awareness and raising acceptability of all travel modes;4)increasing walking, biking, transit, carpooling and car sharing trips;5)increasing neighborhood mobility and livability.
Smart Trips Individualized Marketing:In late March, each household in a Smart Trips area receives a newsletter with a calendar of nearby walks, clinics, and bicycle rides. The newsletter highlights Smart Trips programs, including the Ten Toe Express Walking Campaign, Portland By Cycle Campaign, Senior Strolls, and Women on Bikes. The newsletter articles also describe other transportation projects and programs such as Safe Routes to School, an area streets cape project, and how to use the transit agency's services.

The first newsletter includes a notice about the Smart Trips Order Form that residents use to get information and incentives about walking, bicycling,transit, carpooling, and more. Speed, efficiency, and professional materials are central to making the program a success. 

Residents can order a variety of maps, brochures, tips, and event schedules for every mode of transportation: walking, bicycling, transit, carpool, car sharing, and driving.

Conclusions

Targeting new residents as they are acclimating to their new surroundings is an excellent time to introduce, encourage and support positive transportation behaviour and that a simple, well-timed marketed intervention can make a real difference for travel behaviour change.

 

FULL STORY:

Portland Smart Trips

TOPICS | Portland | Intelligent | Compositive

Reference:Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center 



Lat: 45.5235
Lng: -122.656
Type:
Region: NorthAmerica
Scale: City
Field: Compositive
City: Portland