It’s no secret that Cubic Transportation Systems is invested in spreading the good word about the value and benefits of using public transit options instead of personal vehicles. And though we use as many tools as possible to make our point, from publicity and social media to community outreach, there are some audiences that we can’t reach on our own. Our voice alone can only reach so many people, but when we combine with other organizations through customer partnerships, we form a chorus of advocacy that is much more powerful.
Speaking Different Languages
I’m not just talking about the dozens of languages spoken in a city like Chicago alone. Rather, we’re all conversant in different “languages” and vocabularies in our daily lives. While Cubic’s publicity efforts reach plenty of people conversant in the world and language of public transportation, it’s important that we also focus on speaking to people who are not yet fluent in the ins and outs of transit.
As we advocate for public transit around the world, we do our best to recognize when our customers are better at speaking a certain language than we are. For example, our partners at Pace suburban bus in the Chicago metro area have an excellent grasp on the needs and interests of their passengers. We work together to communicate the value of public transportation to our existing and future riders.
In addition to having a better understanding of Chicagoland’s ridership, we understand that the agencies and organizations we partner with have often built a level of trust with their customers that we would be unable to replicate. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has been operating for seven decades, and when they have something to say, their customers perk up and listen. While a small percentage of Chicago travelers may recognize Cubic as the company behind the Ventra payment system, nearly every Chicagoan can be expected to have a relationship with Ventra and a local institution like the CTA.
Celebrating Our Partnerships
Each day, we value and appreciate our customer partnerships. There are, however, occasional opportunities to work together and celebrate on a grander scale. This year, Cubic Transportation Systems is thrilled to be collaborating with our partners at the CTA, Pace, Regional Transit Authority, and Metra to celebrate the American Public Transportation Association’s Dump the Pump Day.
We’re in a chorus of agreement with our Chicago partners on the merits of Dump the Pump Day; from the thousands of dollars ($11,000 in a two-person household) saved by public transit riders in the RTA region to the local economic growth ($4 in returns for every dollar saved by public transit)[1] stimulated by public transportation, there are countless reasons why we should all dump the pump for at least a day in favor of community options.
We’ll be celebrating in Chicago on June 15 by offering free “Coffee from Cubic” at some of the city’s biggest transit hubs: Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station, the CTA Roosevelt Station, and the Northwest Transportation Center in Schaumburg. Thank you to our customer partners in Chicago for helping us to make this happen and spread the word about the benefits of public transportation!
[1] APTA, National Dump The Pump Day - June 15, 2017 http://www.apta.com/members/memberprogramsandservices/advocacyandoutreachtools/dumpthepump/Pages/default.aspx
