About the Initiatives

1: Evaluation Process

Initiatives for Connect 2035 were identified through:

• Community Engagement: Gathering ideas from the public.
• Input from Board Members and Staff: Incorporating suggestions from those involved in transit planning.
• Technical Analysis: Using data to identify potential improvements.

The Three-Step Evaluation Process

1. Screening and Sorting:

   • Initial ideas were reviewed and organized.

2. Evaluating Impact and Cost:

   • Each initiative was assessed for its potential benefits against the defined criteria, as well as its overall costs.

3. Prioritizing Initiatives:

   • Projects were ranked based on their outcome score.

Scoring Criteria

To decide which projects are the most important, each initiative was scored on:

• Improving Customer Experience: Making bus rides more pleasant and reliable.
• Connecting Communities: Expanding bus service to reach more people in more places.
• Boosting the Economy: Supporting local jobs and businesses through better transit.
• Promoting Equity: Ensuring all communities, especially those historically underserved, benefit from transit.
• Supporting Environmental Sustainability: Reducing pollution and promoting green practices.
• Ensuring Organizational Resilience: Strengthening STA’s ability to serve the community long-term.

2: Evaluation Results

Here’s how some of the highest-scoring projects performed:

• Customer Experience:

  • Short-Term Projects: Introducing a mobility-on-demand pilot and improving bus stops with better lighting, shelters, and real-time information.
  • Longer-Term Projects: Creating new high-performance transit routes and increasing weekend service on popular routes.

• Community Connection and Equity:

  • Piloting a fare program for low-income riders or a broader mobility wallet program.
  • Expanding programs to teach new riders how to use the bus and partnering with community organizations to enhance outreach.

• Organizational Resilience:

  • Investing in targeted staffing, upgrading technology systems, and implementing green infrastructure at transit centers.

You can dive deeper into these results using our interactive dashboard that provides detailed evaluation outcomes for all initiatives. 

3: Cost/Benefit Analysis

In the Connect 2035 process, one key focus is finding projects that offer a strong return on investment (ROI). This means looking for initiatives that deliver significant benefits at a relatively low cost.

Key Projects with Strong ROI

Here are some examples of high-impact, low-cost initiatives:

Goal 1: Enhancing Customer Experience:

• Mobility-On-Demand Pilot: Testing a new on-demand bus service model.
• Service Optimization: Improving existing routes and schedules based on a recent assessment.
• Bus Stop Upgrades: Adding shelters and lighting at busy stops.
• STA Connect App: Enhancing the app with trip planning, real-time updates, and service alerts.
• Safety Ambassador Program: Increasing the visibility of trained personnel across the system

Goal 2: Connecting Communities:

• Fare Programs: Piloting reduced fares for low-income riders or a broader mobility wallet program.
• Transit-Oriented Development: Partnering with cities to plan transit-friendly areas near stations.
• New Rider Programs: Expanding education on how to use the bus, especially in partnership with community organizations.

Goal 3: Building Organizational Resiliance

• Technology Upgrades: Improving real-time information accuracy and investing in staff facilities like break rooms.
• Green Infrastructure: Implementing eco-friendly designs at transit centers and park-and-rides.
• Organizational Development: Creating a program for staff training, leadership development, and succession planning.

Interactive Dashboard

To explore these initiatives and their evaluations in more detail, consult the interactive dashboard. This tool allows you to compare the impact and cost of different projects.

4: Packaging Preview

Now that the evaluation process and results have been reviewed, the next step in the Connect 2035 planning process is to package initiatives into cohesive investment plans.

Packaging Process

• Assembling Initiatives: The evaluated projects will be grouped into different packages. Each package will consider STA’s resources and capabilities, balancing what can be done in the near term versus longer-term projects that need more funding.

• Creating Alternative Packages: Over the next few months, different combinations of initiatives will be explored. These packages will focus on different investment themes. For example:

  • One package might focus on increasing service on existing routes.
  • Another might invest more in mobility-on-demand pilot projects.
  • Some packages may emphasize transit-oriented development, while others focus on mobility programs.

• Iterative Approach: The project team will refine these packages through ongoing discussions and evaluations, aiming to develop a preferred package that aligns with Connect 2035’s strategic goals.

Community Input

• Engagement and Feedback: Between September and October 2024, the team will gather feedback from both internal stakeholders and the community. This input will help shape the final investment package.

This process ensures that the final package of initiatives will be well-rounded, strategic, and supported by both STA and the Spokane community.