TRANSIT MARKETING: A REVIEW OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART AND A HANDBOOK OF CURRENT PRACTICE

Over the past decade, marketing has been given increased emphasis as a way to improve both transit rideship and productivity. While there is near universal agreement among transit managers that some level of marketing is necessary, there is far from consensus on that an appropriate level might be, or on how marketing should be defined. This review provides an overview of current practice in transit marketing. The report is the product of interviews with marketing directors of 25 transit agencies and a review of prior research reports and trade publications. It includes a discussion of the role of transit marketing and describes a framework for a comprehensive approach to marketing in the transit industry. Where possible, the review presents an assessment of current practice. Additional detail and examples of recent marketing activities ar individual transit agencies are provided in the Appendix, "A Handbook of Current Practice."