King County In Motion (Tools of Change)

King County In Motion applies community-based social marketing techniques to encourage residents to choose alternative modes of transportation. It replaces drive-alone travel (single occupancy car use) with other options.

In Motion participants pledge to shift two drive-alone trips per week to transit, ridesharing, biking or walking. The program uses motivational interviewing, commitments, rewards, engaging materials and norm appeals tailored to each target community. It has been used during or in anticipation of major construction, transit restructures or new transit services. King County Metro Transit created In Motion in 2004. Since then, it has applied a growing toolkit of techniques to persuade about 23,000 Seattle-area travelers to drive less. Designated a Landmark case study in 2015. Access the 4.5 minute You Tube video summary.

King County Metro Transit first interviewed local stakeholders and business leaders in each of its targeted neighbourhoods.  In addition, it ran guided group discussions with residents and community leaders. This research helped them understand common barriers. These included lack of travel choices, inconvenience, safety, geography (e.g., hills), and cultural norms.

Each neighborhood program lasted between 10 and 16 weeks. It first sent direct mail to each household in the neighborhood (5,000 to 10,000 households). These mailers included messages specific to the neighborhood, a neighborhood map, and a sign-up card that participants could mail back. They also had the option to sign up online. The mailers asked participants to reduce two of their vehicle trips per week. (Obtaining a Commitment) Participants could also request additional information be sent to them, such as transit or cycling information.

• . During the program, each participant reduced, on average, 10.7 car trips, 243 kilometres travelled, saved 28 litres of gas, and avoided 65 kg of CO2.
• . Based on legacy survey findings, the impacts were sustained (though reduced) 1.5 years after the program ended.
• . By the summer of 2015, about 23,000 people had participated in 36 In Motion campaigns, reducing as many as 900,000 car trips and saving as much as two million litres of gasoline. 

Access the full-length case study on the Tools of Change website at www.toolsofchange.com/

King County, Washington State, USA

Drive-alone, In Motion, KIng County, TDM,  Transportation Demand Management