Metro’s “In Motion” project, Southeast Seattle
Engaging the public in a neighborhood with five different languages
Client: King County Metro in Seattle, Washington
Services: Facilitation and Community Outreach
July 2009
King County Metro developed the In Motion program to provide incentives to help people leave their cars at home and try alternative forms of transportation. The program has been implemented in a variety of King County neighborhoods. Campaigns are developed based upon each neighborhood’s unique characteristics.
The Southeast Seattle In Motion program was also used as a platform to educate residents about the extensive changes to transportation services in the region. These included a large number of changes to Metro routes in the area, the implementation of Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail into the neighborhood and the introduction of a new, region-wide fare product called ORCA. These service changes were especially salient to many of the limited English speaking residents in the area, who are proportionally more frequent users of public transportation.
FLT Consulting’s role in the Southeast In Motion project was to engage the large number of residents who speak limited English, and to research and identify effective program messaging. FLT’s outreach team accomplished this by fostering relationships with community organizations, engaging with citizens at neighborhood events and forums, and creating partnerships with agencies that have established relationships with residents in the area.
In order to assist residents with limited English speaking capabilities, FLT brokered a partnership between Metro and ReWA, a large and highly respected social service agency that has worked extensively with immigrant and refugee residents. ReWA agreed to provide interpreters for the program for five of the most commonly spoken languages in Southeast Seattle. FLT developed training for ReWA staff to familiarize them with the In Motion program and give an overview of transportation options that would most effectively assist residents with information about service changes and resources.
FLT established a total of four partnerships with community organizations, working with them to incorporate In Motion materials in their agency programs, community workshops, vocational and ESL classes. FLT developed presentations and trainings at each of the agencies, as well as hosting information tables at various community events and providing materials and support to a number of social service agencies.