Did you know Grand Rapids was the first city in Michigan—and one of the first in the country—to launch a bus rapid transit line? The Silver Line hit the road in Aug. 2013, serving the Division Avenue corridor and downtown Grand Rapids. 

For those of you who may be new to transit lingo, bus rapid transit is essentially a bus-train hybrid. This relatively new form of transportation focuses on express service using buses and train-like amenities such as stations and off-board fare payment (think the L in Chicago). Also, we call it BRT for short. Use this term with your local urban planner, and you’ll be sure to win some brownie points. 

Launching a new transit line is just like any other kind of product or service launch. There are the folks eagerly counting down the days to be the first to use it, brand loyalists who love your current offerings and don’t want to change, and an entirely new audience you hope to tap as first-time users. 

Here’s how The Rapid drove awareness, education, and hit ridership goals as they launched the Silver Line:

• Paid + earned media

• Digital + social campaigns

• Video series

• Outdoor billboards

• Print ads

• Public outreach through event attendance, tabling, speaking engagement, and more

• Community engagement

• Blogging

Ask me how I managed digital and social campaigns behind the scenes and attended nearly ten events a week for six months leading up to launch.