Project Clearinghouse

TDM Ambassador

Sustainability Problem and Proposed Solution: 

NEI Goal 3 > NEI Strategy 3.2 > NEW NEI Action: 3.3.C - Execute sustainable transportation peer-to-peer education and outreach tactics, through developing student focus groups, distributing surveys, and tabling weekly in high traffic areas.

TAPS TDM Ambassador will work with focus groups and peer-to-peer outreach to determine what motivates their transportation choices and offer TAPS alternative transportation programs as a way to leave their cars behind.

Jump to: Contact | Project Description | Funding Sources | Metrics for Success | Results
Project Categories: 
Transportation
Project Status: 
Completed
Project End Date: 
06/22/2020
Campus Organization: 
Sustainability Office
Affiliated Department, Unit or College: 
Transportation and Parking Services
Project Location: 
On campus


Meet Jason Mead - the new TAPS Alternative Transportation Ambassador!


Stakeholder Contacts: 
Contact NameEmail AddressContact NumberDepartment
Julie Munnerlyn
jmunnerl@ucsc.edu
459-4289
TAPS
Funding Sources: 
CSP Fellowship program

Project Description: 

TAPS' TDM Ambassador would conduct focus groups to receive feedback on how TAPS' programs are helping and how to effectively maximize services according to students and affiliates’ needs. Through tabling with other associations, we could have a model on how to work with other like minded groups to promote our programs in a more efficient and fun way. We also could maximize any incentives by sharing expenses with other groups. We can also network this way and learn more from other groups about their effective tabling approaches.

Through flyer postings, we could constantly get our message out to promote our programs. A constant reminder.

The $500 project budget would be available to use as incentives to the focus groups or tabling we do. These incentives could be Zipcar or Jumpbike memberships/discounted fees. It could be bookstore gift cards, or bike shop gift cards.

This project would be completed by end of Spring Quarter, 2020.

Metrics for Success: 

Every effort expended will result in some measurable effort - if we do outreach concentrating on Jumpbikes, we can ask for metrics from Jump for the following week. If we encourage Ride Amigos sign ups, we can easily see who has signed up for the week following the push. If we promote following us on Social Media to learn more about our programs, we can assess the metrics as well.

Metrics will continue to be discovered throughout this project and will be relayed here.

Next Steps: 
Time Allotment 2 hours per week meeting with Julie 2 hours per week setting up tabling or focus group arrangements 3 hours per week tabling 3 hours per week focus group and analysis Week 1 - Meet with Julie and arrange for scheduling of hours and become familiar with TDM programs. Prepare tabling materials and box to always bring and return and resupply. Table first couple of times with Julie. Figure out what campus associations can blend their message with us at tablings and contact them. Figure out incentives - how we want to use project $. Week 2 - set up with Julie a focus group template. Create list of focus group opportunities. Contact a first group - relatively easy group like students who just traveled home for the holidays. Cookies and TAPS Chat sessions. Arrange for 1st group. Table with Julie. Get a partner association to join us at next tabling. Zipcar ambassadors? Night Escort? Week 3 - Attend focus group. Make analysis. Contact next focus group. Tweek questions based on first focus group. Set up next partner group and try to assign partner group for each week to put on calendar. Consider partner groups that match things happening on the calendar - like BWD, Earth Day, Spring Break. Table with Julie and partner association. Call and confirm all events for this week and next. Week 4 - 23 Continue pattern of tablings (connect with calendar events) and focus groups. Continue focus group analysis and continue tweeking any of the issues.
Result Categories: 
Behavior Change
Results: 

The main goal is to bring TAPS and its alternative transportation into the forefront of UCSC affiliates' daily decision process. This will be an opportunity to figure out the best ways to reach the most people to create a positive change away from solo driving.

Surveys with focus groups will allow us to see what motivates choices for travel
Outreach efforts will allow us to quantify how many groups and individuals we can reach with what levels of efforts
Focus groups will provide us feedback on our social media and print outreach efforts
All information gathered through these 2 quarters will serve as our model for outreach and gathering input for the future.

All partnerships developed for tabling are expected to be long lasting relationships that we can access again in the future.

The project will be completed at the end of Spring Quarter, 2020.

WINTER QUARTER REPORT
Jason Mead was hired January 6th and hit the ground running. We have tabled at least 6 times and experimented each time with surveys, hand outs, candy, cookies, locations, other transportation partners or organizations. The minimum outreach at a tabling was 15 contacts and the maximum outreach was 600 students. Jason has spent time researching outlets for getting our message across. We have discovered Electronic Bulletin Boards, Department newsletters, social media hosts, and favorable departments who would like to see greater contact with TAPS for their staff or students.

Jason has been tabulating our short survey results and their marketing information and TAPS awareness answers and presenting them at our weekly marketing meetings. We have based our newest marketing strategies on these findings. Surveys have been tailored to the subject matter we are promoting at each tabling.

We have discovered great partnerships for tabling. Community Rentals, Zipcar, Santa Cruz Police, are just some of the groups we will connect with for quarterly tablings. We found the most success at pre-established events where food was free and many groups were present. We also have been favorable to the entranceways of Col. 9/10 Dining and Porter Dining. We found that Quarry was the least favorable tabling site.

We have emphasized the following themes at tablings, flyer postings, and social media: Vanpool, How to get home for vacation, Zimride and Zipcar, Jumpbike, How will you travel to campus next year?, and the general how do you hear about TAPS programs - how can we support you.

We have found that safe, kind table hosts are the best draw coupled with a colorful easy to read vertical banner. Colorful candy helps but is not essential. Neither is any food. Jason likes the spinning wheel, which we shall pursue for a future tabling. Quick engagement and personal connection allows them to hear quickly about TAPS and plants the seed!

Without Jason as our first TDM Ambassador, we would not have had the bandwidth to explore the most effective tabling and outreach methods. TAPS expects to be out throughout campus in the future - riding buses, answering questions, making us a supportive partner in everyday decisions.

Jason will be working on a final outreach resource guide for TAPS during Spring Quarter. He also will be emphasizing how to reach staff during this period. We look forward to what will come from this fellowship and are enjoying Jason as a positive addition to our staff!

Resources
Related Websites: 
2020 Final TDM Fellowship Report