SBCTA: Redlands Passenger Rail Project/Arrow
CPOG was the communications and outreach firm for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP), a nine-mile advanced regional transportation project connecting San Bernardino to Redlands.
The completed project provides transportation choices through the introduction of a new rail service, known as the Arrow. The Arrow connects people to transportation choices and destinations, supports the region’s population and employment growth, and offers level-boarding with station and vehicles. It connects San Bernardino and Redlands and offers residents, businesses and visitors a new commuting option to travel to a variety of leisure, education, healthcare and other destinations. In addition to local commuter service, a Metrolink locomotive hauled coach train provides round trip express service from Redlands-to-Los Angeles each morning with return trip from Los Angeles-to-Redlands each evening.
During construction, CPOG led communications and outreach strategies including earned and paid media; collaterals such as fact sheets, FAQs, PPTs, newsletters, flyers, boards; digital/social engagement including website, social media, construction alerts; and stakeholder outreach including hotline, email, database, open houses/community meetings, virtual meetings, elected/official staff meetings, activity centers, information booths, groundbreaking/ribbon cutting events, and surveys.
CPOG identified solutions to the critical challenge of informing the public about construction and closures and detours for the 26 grade crossings throughout the nine-mile corridor in both residential and business neighborhoods. CPOG worked closely with the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino to provide a two-week lead time for grade crossing closures. Prior to the start of the 26 grade crossing closures, CPOG facilitated a first responder meeting to coordinate detours and dates/times of closures to ensure that emergency services had access when they needed it. CPOG also supported SBCTA to host a community meeting that featured all planned grade crossing closures and detours to allow us to discuss the work one-on-one with the community. For each grade crossing closure, the team created a detour notice and distributed it via canvass, eblast, and via website and social media platforms. CPOG also created a live, interactive Google Map that featured real-time closures and detours so that stakeholders had the most up-to-date closure and detour information. We assisted SBCTA and the project team to resolve stakeholder concerns in the field, and we hosted a weekly outreach meeting to review and discuss upcoming closures and how they will affect mobility by car, bicycle, and foot.
Post construction, CPOG worked with SBCTA, Metrolink, FTA, and FRA to develop and implement a train testing and train safety campaign. Development and execution of strategies and tactics included neighborhood and corridor-wide canvass for daytime and nighttime train testing, social media and geofencing ads, door hangers, flyers, FAQs, business posters, city banners, and weekly communication to the project database.
The outreach program reached more than 300,000 stakeholders throughout the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino as well as San Bernardino County itself and Southern California. More than 1,200 contacts received the project’s weekly construction alert, and there have been more than 100,000 views of the project’s Google Map linking to the project’s webpage . Posts were cross-promoted with Operation Lifesaver and Metrolink, as well as local and regional agency, school, and business partners, to reach a broad audience and increase awareness and engagement.