Adam Shumaker is our Principal & Chief Storytelling Officer and has a proven track record of advancing BRT education and advocacy during his time as director of digital media at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Adam continues this work at AS3 Storytelling for new clients.
MARTA leadership recognized the need for local political support in order to build its first bus rapid transit (BRT) lines in a city that frequency expected rail service on every transit corridor. MARTA partnered with LA Metro to take Atlanta City Council members on a BRT tour. Adam recognized the opportunity to document this story with video -- giving an Atlanta audience a real-life example of how BRT works while also capturing the positive reactions of their local elected officials. This proved to be a key first step in building local acceptance and support for BRT in Atlanta.
MARTA initially considered BRT and light rail for the Campbellton Road corridor. Once BRT was selected, MARTA faced loud opposition from some elected officials and community members. Adam realized that the best way to address these concerns was not through MARTA official voices, but instead through the unbiased testimonials from our peer cities. He set out to tell BRT success stories across the U.S., starting with the newly opened Van Ness BRT corridor in San Francisco.
MARTA had multiple BRT lines planned with various types of design in different corridors with various densities. Telling BRT success stories from a variety of U.S. cities allowed MARTA to showcase real stories from relatable communities. The Indianapolis Red Line was similar to what MARTA planned to build in Clayton County.
MARTA planned a return visit to Indianapolis with entire the Clayton County Commission so that they could experience BRT in-person. Adam documented this trip to capture the positive reaction of each commissioner. This led to unanimous support for BRT in the county. The first thing the commissioners asked for was help in educating their constituents on the value of BRT. MARTA already had that ready with this video and a series of other case studies from other cities.
When it came time to break ground on Atlanta's first BRT line, Adam decided that the project video message should be told entirely through external community voices. Instead of MARTA telling what they were going to do to the community, we instead had the community tell what MARTA is doing for them. MARTA received praise from even its critics for including community voices at the core of its project messaging.
Some video stories are intended for a small audience of elected officials and decision makers. While in Minneapolis, Adam talked to transit staff, community improvement district (CID) staff, and elected officials to gain insight into how they created their first bus lanes in downtown. This insight was helpful for local Atlanta officials as they navigated similar challenges.
Maybe you don't have time to go in-depth with testimonials, but every second and every shot counts in a short video when you need to explain why people should support BRT. See how AS3 Storytelling helped Cobb County DOT with their recent transit referendum that would have added 73 miles of BRT to their transit system.
This storytelling approach can work for more than just BRT advocacy. See how AS3 Storytelling used a similar storytelling formula to showcase the success of light rail and trails in Charlotte. These community stories can help build support for future transit ballot initiatives by showing a return on investment.
American Public Transportation Association (APTA) market research shows that the best stories that resonate across all political spectrums are stories that tie transit investment to economic development. This can include personal testimonials from:
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