National Rural Transit Assistance Program (USA) – MARKETING TOOLKIT 2024

Description

The National RTAP Marketing Toolkit (2024) is a practical guide for small rural and tribal transit agencies, giving busy managers marketing knowledge, ready-made templates, copyright-free images, case studies, and video tutorials to build awareness, restore ridership, and satisfy funding needs. It stresses consistent branding and clear passenger information—websites, schedules, and stop signage—while identifying target audiences (current riders, potential riders, non-riders/gatekeepers) and addressing barriers of knowledge, perception, and service. The Toolkit promotes a multimodal information strategy: printed guides (clear, legible, bilingual as needed), simple telephone systems with language support, demand-response apps for booking/payments/tracking, rider alerts, social media, QR codes, onboard messaging, and media relations. It recommends partnering with gatekeepers (schools, social services, employers) for outreach, training, displays, and fare programs. Technical guidance covers map and timetable hierarchy, colorblind-friendly design, Google Maps and Canva workflows, Schedule Builder Excel templates and export steps, bus stop sign and QR-panel options, upkeep of posted information, and basic printing choices.