1 Quarterly Report
CTrides.com 1-877- CTrides (287-4337) info@ctrides.com A Service of the Connecticut Department of Transportation 2
CTrides: Quarter 4 Marketing Activity Summary October - December 2017 The main CTrides Marketing focus for Q4 revolved around positioning itself for the upcoming fiscal year, which started November 1 following a contract renewal. One of CTrides main objectives for FY 18 centers around an in-depth analysis of CTrides marketing strategies through the use of behavioral economic tactics. BEworks CTrides procured the services of BEworks, a firm that specializes in behavioral economics, to take a holistic look at CTrides entire marketing portfolio. Further, BEworks will engage with CTrides employer partners to get a better understanding of how organizations are receiving messages and what will drive them to use an alternate commute. This process will take the entirety of the fiscal year and kicked off in Q4 with the planning and developmental phases. A discovery stage involved CTrides providing current marketing materials to BEworks as part of their initial examination, as well as interviews with current CTrides team members and key stakeholders at the Connecticut Department of Transportation. These interviews included the Commissioner s Office. Once BEworks processes the interviews and materials, a workshop will be held in Q1 to discuss initial findings before employer interviews are conducted. Additional Marketing CTrides began development of a completely revamped Transportation Leaders program during Q4 for rollout during 2018 Q1 or Q2. This is intended to give organizations an incentive to continue to strive to implement commuter-friendly programs by creating multiple recognition levels that an employer can achieve. Additionally, CTrides is working on a quick-hit media campaign during the winter months, keying on the inclement weather as a trigger to get people to alter their commute habits. CTrides saw excellent response to it s football-themed Kick Off Your Commute campaign during October and November, using football to engage people into thinking about their commute differently. As part of BEworks early feedback, CTrides has begun developing an overview brochure, taking its entire library of informational materials and combining them into one brochure that can be handed to commuters or left behind with an organizational contact. This is intended to remove barriers to entry for new organizations trying to learn about the program, but who do not want to read multiple sheets of information. 3
Participating Organization Activity Total number of CTrides employer participants, stakeholders and community participants is 235. The team also recognized its Partners of the Month for their commitment in offering employees various commuter benefits. Paier College of Art Engaged CTrides with their Student Council leadership; participated in Try-It Day to Downtown New Haven's Yale University Art Gallery; Committed to assisting their students with their commuting options wherever possible via CTrides. Center for Latino Progress - Passionate dedication to public transportation; committed to expanding public transportation and making it accessible to all; part of many community forums looking to better public transportation. The CTrides Outreach Team held 145 Worksite Meetings and 83 Commuter Events with our worksite partners during Q4. The total number of participating organizations is at 235. This quarter s worksite activity, segmented by region, can be found on the following pages. A complete list of program organizations/stakeholders is in Appendix A. 4
Regional Worksite Highlights Western CT includes Litchfield, Housatonic, Bridgeport & Stamford regions Highlights Global Steering Systems: Launched ERH program using custom English and Spanish handouts; set the gears in motion for Global Steering System's spring Try Carpool promotion Watermark at 3030 Park: Attended eight presentations over the course of two days with different employee groups at The Watermark; good opportunity to interact with new groups of employees and continue to provide information on area services, especially frequent GBT bus service Porter and Chester (Waterbury): Met with the Director to discuss attending Career Service seminars; booked four upcoming seminar workshops, and a general table event in Q1 Housatonic Community College: Set up a surveying kiosk at Housatonic Community College for students to get access to the DOT U-Pass survey; many students were grateful to have an opportunity to complete the survey, and many students had completed it online before running into our table University of Bridgeport: High energy, high-activity health fair; 52 NuRide signups, football toss game brought in a lot of traffic; UB has a subsidized bus pass for students, so transit use of GBT buses is high; many students utilize rewards program Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments: Great opportunity to connect with the Greater Shelton Area community at a workshop for upcoming Route 8 corridor proposed improvements Post University: New organization obtained through a CTfastrak contact; will do student events in Q1 Fairfield University: Met with new contact, Assistant Vice President- Admin and Student affairs; needs analysis meeting for deeper understanding of campus transportation; plan to come up with solutions and action items Events ASML, Inc. Cartus CTtransit Global Steering Systems Goodwill of Western & Northern CT Housatonic Community College Marcus Partners Management Norwalk Community Technical College Porter and Chester Institute (Stratford) Porter and Chester Institute (Waterbury) Stone Academy (Waterbury) The Watermark at 3030 Park UConn (Stamford) University of Bridgeport Waterbury Hospital Western Connecticut State University Meetings Alexion Pharmaceuticals Fairfield University Global Steering Systems Goodwill of Western & Northern CT Greater Bridgeport Transit Housatonic Community College Metro Council of Governments Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments North East Transportation Co. Northwestern CT Community College Norwalk Community Technical College Porter and Chester Institute (Stratford) Porter and Chester Institute (Waterbury) Post University Stone Academy (Waterbury) The Kennedy Center, Inc. The Watermark at 3030 Park UConn (Stamford) UConn (Waterbury) University of Bridgeport Western CT Council of Governments 5
Regional Worksite Highlights Southern CT includes Middlesex, New Haven & coastal regions cently created TDM team to expand program Highlights Mohegan Sun: Met with Title VI consultant who recruits, interviews and sets up on-site trainings for Title VI obligations, with Transportation being a top focus for new hires Electric Boat: Held Lunch & Learn with employees Yale University: Awarded CTrides College Month trophy for most students and staff to track a trip; Held successful Meet Your Match with 34 staff and faculty registered; November follow-up planned to identify continuing carpools University of New Haven: Awarded the CTrides College Month trophy for most number of NuRide registrations Wesleyan University: Two Meet Your Match scheduled for November - One event for Middletown resident staff; One event for staff outside of Middletown Job Corps (New Haven): Lunch time table event for all new students followed by a presentation to highlight CTtransit options in New Haven SCSU: Promoted U-Pass for new semester including email blast and on-site event Chabaso Bakery: Connected with new contact and working with re- Gateway Community College: Participated in Transfer Student event; Focused heavily on the U-Pass Survey and Transit app awareness and usage Branford Hall: Held a successful Student Commuter Event at Branford Hall, designed to educate students about: Ridematching & Rewards, the Custom Commute, transit options and carpooling Events Albertus Magnus Alexion Pharmaceuticals Branford Hall (Branford campus) Electric Boat Gateway Community College GoNHGO Job Corps New Haven Wesleyan University Yale University Meetings Albertus Magnus Branford Hall (Branford campus) City of New Haven Connecticut Department of Transportation Connecticut Mental Health Center Connecticut Valley Hospital Electric Boat Gateway Community College GoNHGO Job Corps New Haven Key Bank - New Haven Knights of Columbus Middlesex Community College Mohegan Sun Casino Porter & Chester Institute (Branford) Quinnipiac University Sea Corp Southern Connecticut State University Stone Academy (West Haven) The Hartford Three Rivers Community College Town of Wallingford UConn Health Center United Illuminating Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (West Haven) Wesleyan University Workforce Alliance Yale University 6
Regional Worksite Highlights Eastern CT includes the Hartford, North and Central regions of Connecticut Highlights Capital Community College Career Fair event featured a number of students interested in the U-Pass survey; U-Pass feedback was overwhelmingly positive Hartford Healthcare: Initial meeting with new contact; helping with a relocation of about 125 employees to a New Britain location; good candidate for ERH CT Workers Compensation Commission: Very interested in the ERH Program; they have several employees with long commutes who are prime candidates for Custom Commute Plans Stanley Black and Decker: New prospect interested in ERH program and company-wide Try-It Day UConn Health Center: Tabled with CTtransit in multiple locations to discuss 913 line for patients and staff Porter and Chester (Enfield): Held event with Student Ambassador Panel to discuss rewards and ridematching and carpool/vanpool options The Hartford: Met with HEAT team to setup calendar for 2018 Company-wide challenge planned in Q1 or Q2 Events Advance Auto Parts Asnuntuck Community College Capital Community College Center for Latino Progress Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce Connecticare Connecticut Children's Medical Center Connecticut Department of Developmental Services Connecticut Spring and Stamping Goodwin College Hartford Hospital Jackson Laboratory Jones Lang Lasalle Americas Manchester Community College New Britain CT Works Center Porter and Chester Institute (Enfield) Pratt and Whitney The Hartford Trinity College Triumph Tunxis Community College UConn Health Center United Technologies Aerospace University of Connecticut (Storrs) Voya Windham Regional Community Council Wiremold/Legrand Meetings Avon Health Center Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce Connecticare Connecticut Department of Developmental Services Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (Hartford) Connecticut Department of Transportation Connecticut Spring and Stamping 7 Goodwin College Hartford Adult Education Center Hartford HealthCare System Support Office Jackson Laboratory Kaman Ks Partners Legrand Ortronics Manchester Community College New Britain CT Works Center Northeastern Connecticut Chambers of Commerce Office of Policy and Management Office of the Attorney General Porter & Chester Institute (Rocky Hill) Porter and Chester Institute (Enfield) Stanley Black & Decker The Hartford Town of Farmington Triumph Tunxis Community College UConn Health Center United Bank University of Connecticut (Storrs) Voya Waste Management West Hartford Health and Rehab Wiremold/Legrand Workers' Compensation Commission
Customer feedback: Thanks so much. After I submitted this request I noticed I could Live Chat so I did. The experience was awesome. Also had Cindy. Not sure if it's the same person. You have made our anticipation of traveling to NYC via SLE & MN very easy. Thanks again. Vickie is a complete Saint. Totally patient, great knowledge and huge help for someone like me a million miles from home. The drivers are great! The bus was the best decision I've made. Thanks! I am new to CTtransit and needed a great deal of guidance. Cindy was knowledgeable, friendly and patient. She is a breath of fresh air and a great person to represent your company. Thank you! Customer Service Updates PA Automation Currently, the Customer Service team performs manual alerts to all Shore Line East Commuter Rail Service platforms when there are delays or cancellations. CTrides developed a plan and working with IT resources so these can be automated and made more efficient for riders. Contact Center Overhaul CTrides is also working with Salesforce to update its database in order to have a more streamlined method of collecting and storing information. Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Incentives The ERH program, revamped in Q1 2017, has been highly effective on cutting down cost. However, sending reimbursement checks from AECOM to people has been a bulky process. CTrides is working with a third-party vendor to instead use online debit cards as a reimbursement method to make the process more seamless and customer-friendly. Customer Service Details: 5,073 Total Inquiries into CTrides 1,711 inbound calls 10 inquiries about available disabled services 2 bilingual inquiries Responded to 2,768 email inquiries Great or OK rating on 93% of emails 319 marketing/informational outbound calls Facilitated 275 live online chats of which 71 were SMS (text) chats 4.7 out of 5 (best) avg. rating on all chats Provided 5 Emergency Rides Home to 3 vanpool riders and 2 express bus riders Distributed 29 trial bus passes to commuters meeting the program s Trial Ride criteria. A follow-up survey for the quarter tallied 9 responses with 5 using the pass, all 5 will continue to use transit and all 5 rated the service a 3 or better out of 5. 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 4th 2nd Quarter Quarter 2017 2015 1,711 Inbound Calls 319 Outbound Calls 2,768 Email Inquiries 275 Online Chats 8
Telework Marketing & Activities The key development for Teleworking during Q4 was the execution of and results from a Telework Focus Group. The group was conducted over 90 minutes with 10 C-Level decision makers in the room to discuss the needs of telework within their organization, their relationship with CTrides, and how CTrides can better market and address telework issues. Key findings follow: Communication gaps exist in connecting the teleworking needs at companies, to resources that would aid implementation and ultimately benefit many companies. This includes: lack of overall awareness that the CTrides program exists; lack of awareness that the CTrides program is free; the CTrides name and branding doesn t communicate the telework services offered; some organizations desire better online access to information and resources; lack of clear incentive (financial or otherwise) to spur a decision to implement. Overall, the majority of participants believed that teleworking can have many important benefits at most companies. For example, primary benefits of a telework program identified were: better overall employee work efficiency and productivity; saving physical work space (which can save on overhead costs); a positive recruitment tool which can aid at accessing more candidates and larger / better talent pool; stronger retention, due to overall happiness and quality of life gained from flexibility. Despite general agreement that telework programs are beneficial, some barriers came to light, including: concern regarding fully trusting remote employees to perform their job responsibilities while free of supervision, and how to best monitor behavior; potential for security and protocol issues; ongoing effort and structure is required to manage the program; requires time and resources from other departments. When it comes to making decisions regarding instituting and formalizing a telework program, the individuals possessing the strongest influence typically work within an HR role. However, in most cases it is the C-level suite that would possess the final sign off for a program. From a strategic standpoint, the HR role needs help in building that case of why a telework program should be investigated and potentially implemented. Defining the key tenets of a formal telework program appears to be cloudy for many participants; this is likely due to a variety of company sizes, staff hierarchies, and industries, which in turn leads to different program definitions. This may provide an opportunity to very clearly set forth broader universal guidelines and align each tenet with a clear benefit or ROI. On this note, the majority of participants agreed that having a formalized program was important to the overall success, as opposed to something informal and/or ad-hoc. Action items moving forward include: Update messaging Make information and tools readily available on website to decision makers (HR and C-level) Connect employers in similar industries Reinforce that it is a completely free service Promote the peace of mind benefits of a formalized program Update name to clearly indicate what the service entails 9
CTrides Ridematching & Rewards Program CTrides added 938 new members to the Ridematch & Rewards program in the fourth quarter of 2017. The increase in membership reflects the results of focused marketing and outreach efforts, as well as a number of raffles, sponsored and administered through the program vendor NuRide. The major fourth quarter raffles included NFL tickets and multiple Best Buy gift cards. CTrides featured these prominently on the website and social channels, which resulted in these being the most redeemed rewards of the quarter. The majority of raffle winners came from organizations working with CTrides including Connecticut Department of Social Services, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Travelers and Atticus Bookstore & Café. Fourth quarter planning included the rollout of the white label branding of the webpage and app. Currently branded as NuRide, the plan is to extend the CTrides brand for closer association of the Ridematching and rewards. A draft version of the app and website design have been developed to coincide with CTrides branding and remove the thirdparty confusion. Additional White Label Rollout Update Target Launch Date Q1 2018 Developed a thorough report on proposed changes Identified what pages are able to be updated Miscellaneous A major focus continues to be the launch of a CTrides Ridematch and Rewards Android-capable app. The app is a top priority as nearly half of the users of the service use an Android phone and are unable to download the current app (only available on Apple devices). Because of the variety of operating systems that use Android, launch of the app has been pushed to Q2 for proper testing procedures. 10
Appendix A: Partner List As of Q4 2017, there are more than 200 businesses, agencies and municipalities working with CTrides 1. 3M Purification 2. 3PL Worldwide 3. 9Town Transit 4. Advance Auto Parts 5. AECOM 6. Aetna 7. Albertus Magnus 8. Alexion Pharmaceuticals 9. Amazon Sorting Center Wallingford 10. ARGA Investment Management 11. ASML, Inc. 12. Asnuntuck Community College 13. Avon Health Center 14. Bigelow Tea 15. Bikeport Co-Op 16. BikewalkCT 17. BLT Management, LLC 18. Branford Hall (Branford) 19. Bridgeport Public Schools 20. Building & Land Technology 21. Capital Community College 22. Cartus 23. Center for Latino Progress 24. Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce 25. Central CT State University 26. Chabaso Bakery, Inc. 27. Cigna 28. City of Bridgeport 29. City of Danbury 30. City of Meriden 31. City of New Britain 32. City of New Haven 33. City of Stamford 34. City of Waterbury 35. City of Waterbury - Public Health 36. Community Health Center of New London 37. Connecticare 38. Connecticut Children's Medical Center 39. Connecticut College 40. Connecticut Department of Developmental Services 41. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (Hartford) 42. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (New Britain) 43. Connecticut Department of Labor 44. Connecticut Department of Transportation 45. Connecticut Innovations 46. Connecticut Mental Health Center 47. Connecticut National Guard 48. Connecticut Probate Court 49. Connecticut Spring and Stamping 50. Connecticut State Insurance Department 51. Connecticut Valley Hospital 52. Connecticut Water 53. Continuum of Care Inc. 54. CT Department of Labor 55. CTtransit 56. CTfastrak 57. Datto, Inc. 58. Department of Administrative Services 59. Department of Economic and Community Development 60. Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection 61. Department of Rehabilitation Services 62. Department of Revenue Services 63. Department of Social Services (Hartford) 64. Diageo, Inc. 65. Eastern Account System, Inc. 66. Eastern Accounts System-Danbury 67. Eastern Connecticut State University 68. Eastern Connecticut Transportation Consortium 69. Eastern Workforce Investment Board 70. Electric Boat 71. Empire State Realty Trust 72. Enterprise Holdings 73. Excel Partners 74. Fairfield University 75. Foxwoods Resort and Casino 76. Fusco Corporation 77. Gateway Community College 78. Gaylord Specialty Healthcare 79. Global Steering Systems 80. GoNHGO 81. Goodwill of Western & Northern CT 82. Goodwin College 83. Greater Bridgeport Transit 84. Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce 85. Greater Waterbury YMCA 86. Greenwich Board of Education 11
Appendix A: Partner List 87. Greenwich Chamber of Commerce 88. Hartford Adult Education Center 89. Hartford Foundation for Public Giving 90. Hartford HealthCare System Support Office 91. Hartford Hospital 92. Hartford Steam Boiler 93. HARTransit 94. Henkel Corporation 95. Hispanic Advisory Council of Greater Stamford (HACGS) 96. Homegoods Distribution 97. Homes For the Brave 98. Hospital for Special Care 99. Housatonic Community College 100. IFG Companies (Guilford Specialty Group) 101. IRS 102. Jackson Laboratory 103. Job Corps (Hartford) 104. Job Corps New Haven 105. Jones Lang Lasalle Americas 106. JP Svendsen Insurance Agency 107. Kaman 108. Key Bank - New Haven 109. Knights of Columbus 110. Konica Minolta Business Solutions 111. Law offices of John Andreini 112. Lawrence + Memorial Hospital 113. Lincoln Life Insurance/Freemont Group Management 114. Lockheed Martin 115. Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments 116. Manchester Community College 117. Marcus Partners Mgmt. 118. MassMutual 119. Medtronic 120. Middlesex Community College 121. Middlesex Community College - Meriden Campus 122. Middlesex Hospital 123. Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center 124. Middletown Area Transit 125. Milford Transit District 126. Mitchell College 127. Mohegan Sun Casino 128. Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa 129. Naugatuck Valley Community College (Danbury) 130. Naugatuck Valley Community College (Waterbury) 131. Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments 132. Naval Submarine Base New London 133. New Britain CT Works Center 134. New Britain Downtown District 135. North East Transportation Co. 136. Northeastern Connecticut Chambers of Commerce 137. Northwest Hills COG 138. Northwestern CT Community College 139. Norwalk Community Technical College 140. Norwalk Housing Authority 141. Norwalk Transit 142. NWCC Center for Workforce Development 143. Office of Policy and Management 144. Office of the Attorney General 145. Office of the Secretary of the State 146. Office of the State Comptroller 147. Oracle Corporation 148. Paier College of Art 149. Paradigm Property Management 150. People Friendly Stamford 151. People's United Bank 152. PEP - Lacey Manufacturing 153. Pitney Bowes-Danbury 154. Porter & Chester Institute (Branford) 155. Porter and Chester Institute (Enfield) 156. Porter and Chester Institute (Stratford) 157. Porter and Chester Institute (Waterbury) 158. Pratt & Whitney - Middletown 159. Pratt and Whitney 160. ProHealth Physicians 161. Prudential (Hartford) 162. Quinebaug Valley Community College 163. Quinnipiac University 164. Quinnipiac University - North Haven Campus 165. Radiall USA Inc. 166. Reckson/SL Green 167. Saint Francis Hospital 168. Sea Corp 169. SeeClickFix 170. Shipman & Goodwin 171. Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics 172. Siemon Company 12
Appendix A: Partner List 173. Society for Human Resource Management 174. South Central Regional Council of Governments 175. Southeast Area Transit 176. Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments 177. Southern Connecticut State University 178. Southwest Community Health Center 179. St. Mary's Hospital 180. St. Vincent's College 181. St. Vincent's Medical Center 182. Stamford Chamber of Commerce 183. Stamford Downtown Special Services District (SDSSD) 184. Stanley Black & Decker 185. Stone Academy (East Hartford) 186. Stone Academy (Waterbury) 187. Stone Academy (West Haven) 188. Sun Life Financial 189. Tauck Tours 190. The Business Council of Fairfield County 191. The Hartford 192. The Kennedy Center, Inc. 193. The Watermark at 3030 Park 194. The Workplace 195. Three Rivers Community College 196. Town Green Special Services District 197. Town of Farmington 198. Town of Greenwich 199. Town of Windsor 200. Travelers 201. Trinity College 202. Triumph 203. TSKP Studios 204. Tunxis Community College 205. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 206. UConn Hartford 207. UConn Health Center 208. UCONN Waterbury 209. United Bank 210. United Illuminating 211. United States District Court: District of Connecticut 212. University of Bridgeport 213. University of Connecticut (Storrs) 214. University of Connecticut-Stamford 215. University of Hartford 216. University of New Haven 217. University of Saint Joseph 218. University of St. Joseph School of Pharmacy 219. Valley Transit District 220. Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (Newington) 221. Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (West Haven) 222. Voya 223. vride 224. Waste Management 225. Waterbury Hospital 226. Wesleyan University 227. West Hartford Health and Rehab 228. Western Connecticut State University 229. Western CT Council of Governments 230. Windham Region Transit District 231. Wiremold/Legrand 232. Workers' Compensation Commission 233. Yale University 234. Yale-New Haven Hospital 235. YMCA Greater Hartford 13