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SamTrans > News Archive > SamTrans Ads Highlight Benefits of Transit
SamTrans Ads Highlight Benefits of Transit
You may think you are the only one to benefit when you decide to take a SamTrans bus
or ride Caltrain, but the impact of public transportation extends far beyond the
individual rider. That’s the message of a new marketing campaign being launched by
the San Mateo County Transit District.
The ads, which feature the tagline, “Wherever life takes you,” will appear in local
newspapers and on local television beginning in mid-April. The campaign is part of a
national promotion by the American Public Transportation Association to raise
awareness of the benefits of public transportation.
Nearly half of all Americans believe traffic is a serious problem where they live.
Public transportation benefits the community by easing traffic congestion, which
improves the quality of life, even for people who don’t use transit. The nearly
100,000 people who take a SamTrans bus, ride Caltrain or take BART every day reduce
traffic congestion on local roads and freeways.
Public transportation also is key to getting people to work. Nationally, an estimated
94 percent of welfare recipients attempting to move into the workforce do not own cars
and rely on public transportation. In a survey of SamTrans riders, 51 percent said
they rode the bus to work and 56 percent said they did not own a car.
Investment in public transportation also promotes economic growth and development.
The renovation of the San Francisco Caltrain Station and the construction of the new
ball park just a block away led the revitalization of the entire neighborhood. At the
Colma BART Station, land owned by the transit district is being used for a
transit-oriented development project that will include a 153-unit apartment building
and 3,500 square fee of retail space. This “livable community” will bring
transportation and services within easy reach of residents.
The transit district addresses public transportation needs in San Mateo County with a
variety of solutions. It provides Redi-Wheels paratransit service for persons with
disabilities who are unable to ride SamTrans. The district also operates shuttles
that link transit centers with major employment sites; is the managing agency for the
San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which administers the expenditure of
Measure A funds; and, is a partner in Caltrain rail service and the BART extension to
Millbrae.
4/15/05
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