BrandGOV Works with San Francisco Bay Ferry Service to Identify Inequities in Vallejo

VALLEJO, Calif. - Sept. 26, 2022 - PRLog -- A survey of residents living in some of Vallejo's low-income and underserved communities found that most respondents thought ferry fares were too expensive and most were not familiar with the service's operations, benefits and discount ticket programs.  The research was conducted recently by local outreach firm BrandGOV working as a contractor with the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the organization that runs the San Francisco Bay Ferry service.  The survey's main purpose was to assess ways to enhance equity and access to the ferry system.

"The findings were not entirely unexpected," says BrandGOV CEO K. Patrice Williams.  "Although the ferry launches from here in Vallejo every day, we found that most of our respondents didn't use the ferry for work; they used it for fun, for the occasional trip to tourist attractions in San Francisco, for example, and they weren't aware of all the various Clipper Card discount-fare programs, including ones for seniors and teens."

BrandGOV used targeted research to identify people, communities and employers whose employees might benefit from ferry service.  The company then conducted both in-person and online surveys, using community meetings and a social media campaign.

Two-hundred-fifty people responded to the survey.  Of those more than 43 percent listed expensive fares as the reason they did not take the ferry; over 14 percent said the hours didn't work for their schedule; another 15 percent said they preferred other forms of travel.  Sixty-two percent were not aware of the ferry's discount ticket programs and 70 percent said they used the ferry for recreational travel only.

The company's key recommendations to WETA were a stronger marketing campaign, especially in underserved communities, to create greater awareness of the ferry's services, schedules and discount fares.  It also recommended streamlining the application process for the Clipper Card and consideration of a discount ticket program for college students.

WETA does currently have a pilot discount fare program called Clipper START.  It offers persons between the ages of 19 and 64, and who do not have a Clipper Card, single-ride discounts on the ferry, Caltrain, BART and other major Bay Area transit services. Participants must live in the Bay Area and have household incomes consistent with federal poverty guidelines.  For more information, please visit www.clipperstartcard.com.

To find out more about this project and other BrandGOV outreach services, please visit www.brandgov.com.

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About BrandGOV, LLC

BrandGOV, LLC is a full-service public outreach firm, specializing in public engagement, marketing, social media/digital plans, and in-person grassroots, safe, events designed to meet the unique needs of customers. To find out more about our services, successful projects and areas of expertise, please visit, www.brandgov.com.