Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 26

2010 Annual Meeting

Greensboro Turns Up the HEAT with New Routes and Amenities for Colleges and Universities
BY KEVIN ELWOOD Strategic Information Specialist Greensboro Transit Authority Greensboro, NC
reensboro, NC, has flirted with 100-degree high temperatures this year, but the area does boast one good thing about the heat: Higher Education Area Transit (HEAT), the nationally recognized partnership between the Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) and six local colleges and universities, is entering its fifth year of service. Providing almost 200,000 passenger trips last year, the HEAT system continues its strategic pattern of growth serving the area’s estimated 50,000 college students along with the general public. Each new year of service brings advancements to benefit both current and potential riders, ensuring repeat customers throughout the year.

venues—such as Four Seasons Town Centre, Wal-Mart Supercenter, and Target—the service has introduced two additional routes. Route 76 Express HEAT-East connects the campuses of Bennett College and North Carolina A&T State University with Four Seasons Town Centre and The Shoppes at Pyramids Village, home of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Route 78 Express HEAT-West connects the western campuses of Guilford College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with Four Seasons and the Wendover Avenue shopping district, home of WalMart, Target, and other retailers. As with all HEAT and GTA services, students of full-partner schools may access these routes fare-free by swiping a valid student identification card or school-issued farecard on any bus. Students have shown their appreciation for the new routes by climbing on

board in encouraging numbers. The first day of service for Route 76 saw 550 boardings solely from NCA&T as new and returning students sought to complete last-minute school shopping.

Rider Amenities Show We Care
Although the central amenity of any public transit system is the service itself, it is a well-documented fact that rider amenities reach far in increasing rider comfort levels and helping passengers develop favorable attitudes toward the service provider. GTA built the HEAT concept—from the contemporary transit schedules to the vivid bus designs—with the intention of reaching the 18-to-22-year-old student demographic. Continuing that trend, HEAT offers amenities intended to woo this highly mobile group. A redesign of the rideheat.com web site, a mainstay of the service, has given it an appealing new look. Tapping into this age group’s primary methods of communication, the site has integrated HEAT and GTA’s social media presence with a YouTube video embedded in the home page, along with links for our Facebook and Twitter sites.

Another new amenity is a cell phone and electronic device charging station at the J. Douglas Galyon Depot transfer center. While waiting for connecting buses, users can charge up to eight cell phones, iPods, laptops, or other electronic devices at a time. Coupled with the free Wi-Fi available since the spring, our riders can now stay in touch during their frequent commutes.

Telling Our Story
Our goal, of course, is to spread the word about HEAT and GTA both far and wide, using various vehicles to do so. But we also know that one important voice in support of our services is that of the riders. We will continue to engage our customers with attendance at their campus events, distributing promotional items and services through activities such as the recent Road Chill HEAT event, and ongoing contests. Our latest is the HEAT Hot Shot Video Contest, which encourages riders to create a digital video on their experiences with HEAT, GTA, or public transportation. GTA will present prizes for all entries, but the winner will get a new Apple iPad. Through it all, we believe that—as much success as we have seen in the first four years of Higher Education Area Transit—year five and beyond will present even greater opportunities to gain riders, destroy misperceptions, and share the wonderful benefits of public transportation.

Customer Feedback = New Routes
Since its introduction in 2006, HEAT service has included access on several routes to Friendly Center/The Shoppes at Friendly Center, a retail facility offering more than 140 stores and restaurants. In response to comments from loyal HEAT users recommending express service to other Greensboro shopping and entertainment

HEAT’s new routes have helped its ridership grow each year.

26 | Passenger Transport

Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting