Riverside County Transportation Commission Issues Marketing RFP

The Riverside County Transportation Commission has issued a marketing RFP. The Riverside County Transportation Commission is responsible for: 1) coordinating state highway planning; 2) adopting regional Short Range Transit Plans; 3) coordinating transit services; 4) allocating Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds; and 5) coordinating county highway and transit plans with regional and state agencies. The Commission is also the principal agency in Riverside County managing the Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE), the Congestion Management Program, and the Measure A half-cent sales tax for transportation. The Commission participates in the ongoing funding and governance of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), known as Metrolink, and owns and operates all nine (9) commuter rail stations and one operation control center serving Riverside County.

In 2013 the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) began construction of the Perris Valley Line (PVL). In June 2016, RCTC turned this completed project over to the Southern California Regional Rail Association (Metrolink) to begin operating passenger rail service on 24 miles of RCTC’s improved San Jacinto Branch Line (SJBL). This new service dubbed 91/Perris Valley Line, extended existing service from Riverside to Perris. For many years the SJBL was infrequently utilized by freight trains traveling at no more than 10 miles per hour. The communities surrounding the PVL were complacent around the tracks prompting the need for rail safety education while the PVL was under construction. RCTC began an initial outreach effort to selected Riverside County schools, neighborhood and community groups, along the SJBL. The focus was to increase awareness of the dangers of crossing railroad tracks.

RCTC has promoted activities in accordance with the Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) program, an international nonprofit organization. RCTC has worked closely with OLI and will continue the partnership with this program. As part of this partnership, all presentation staff consultants are required to be certified Operation Life Saver Presenters and maintain their certification. With the 91/PVL now fully operational, Metrolink is running 12 trains per day along the SJBL. This increase in train operations has made rail safety education paramount. RCTC’s informal rail safety program that began in conjunction with construction, has proved to be successful but also made it apparent that rail safety education is needed as an ongoing program.

The focus of the program will primarily be on education in schools and the community. The ideal program should include a layered educational outreach approach targeted at elementary, intermediate and high schools, as well as outreach to the University of California at Riverside. Included, but not limited to, in this educational program should also consider radio, billboard and theater advertising, railroad crossing awareness, updates to elected officials and chambers of commerce, and booths at multiple community events within Riverside County.

Tasks include the following:

SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS/KIOSKS:

Consultant shall prepare, present, staff these school outreach activities that will include:

• Presentations to elementary grade students using OLI-approved videos, messages, collateral materials;

• Campus kiosks at secondary schools using an effective activity to engage the students which would possibly include: games, exhibits, age appropriate giveaways and collateral material placed under a canopy or booth;

• Dissemination of information via social media and email messages for each school. California Operation Lifesaver is active on Facebook and Twitter, Consultant shall leverage the messages posted on its social media accounts and encourage schools to share this information. Consultant shall use the hashtag, #railsafety, in all social media postings and encourage school administrators and community organization leaders to share rail safety information on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Consultant will take photos at presentations and events and subsequently post messages about rail safety throughout the year;

• Dissemination of videos via campus television programming, if applicable. Consultant shall review the oli.org website for new videos that may be available for distribution; and

• Distribution of book covers to middle schools and high schools to remind students of safe behavior near railroad tracks. Consultant shall coordinate with Metrolink to obtain book covers and distribute to campuses in sensitive areas.

UC RIVERSIDE OUTREACH:

With Metrolink trains running adjacent to the University of California at Riverside (UCR) campus, RCTC has targeted UCR students, faculty and staff for OLI outreach. Consultant shall use the “See Tracks? Think Train” campaign or similar OLI approved campaigns and coordinate with the campus for the following activities, but not limited to:

• Electronic sign placement in strategic areas of campus;

• Staff booth and/or provide information for key annual events at UCR;
  • Such as, the UCR Community Partner Fair, Homecoming Festival and/or other campus events, as appropriate;

• Coordinate inspirational rail safety speaker (if feasible);

• Provide Back-to-School materials for inclusion in orientation packets for entering freshman students and transfer students. Consultant will supply bookmarks for the on-campus bookstore and two off-campus bookstores to include with book purchases;

• Consultant shall distribute “See Tracks? Think Train!” drink coasters to various dining facilities within the campus;

• Consultant shall prepare and distribute OLI-branded doorknob hangers with train vouchers to campus housing and off-campus apartments in the area;

• Consultant will prepare and distribute OLI-branded posters/flyers to place in campus dorms and other public areas, if permissible;

• Consultant shall secure connections with campus groups such as fraternities and sororities for spreading OLI messages;

• Consultant shall place newspaper advertising in The Highlander to reinforce OLI and appropriate behavior around the railroad tracks; and

• Social Media Activities:
  • Coordinate with OLI and RCTC regarding social media postings and tag both agencies on posts;
  • Prepare and provide social media “toolkit” to Associated Students of UCR and Communications Department for posting messages at regular intervals. Modify toolkit at least every other month to provide fresh messaging throughout the year;
  • Host competition to promote rail safety. An example would be whoever gets the most shares on Facebook will receive an award;
  • Create cover photo campaign and ask students to change their cover photo to an OLI picture for a week;
  • Conduct social media raffle/contest: Students who like and share an OLI post will be entered into a raffle; and
  • Explore creation of a UCR OLI social media pages; boost posts to build audiences.

MOVIE THEATER ADVERTISING:

Taking the opportunity for a captive audience, the Consultant shall explore opportunities to advertise in movie theaters that are located in the vicinity of the 91/Perris Valley Line. Screen advertisements that air prior to the start of movies must have OLI messages to increase awareness about appropriate behavior near railroad tracks.

SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE TOOLKITS:

Consultant will prepare social media and website “toolkits” with news items, video links, infographics, and suggested posts with OLI messages to provide to local governments, schools, chambers of commerce, first responders, offices of elected officials and other organizations. Consultant will develop a list of targeted organizations and track their use of the toolkits throughout the year. Information also will be provided frequently to RCTC for posting to all RCTC social media outlets.

COMMUNITY & BUSINESS OUTREACH:

Consultant will schedule presentations and kiosks to groups in Riverside County to spread OLI messages. Target groups include, not limited to:

• Periodic information booths with giveaways in lobby of County Administrative Center;

• Up to 20 Safety/Health/Community Fairs, senior centers, Farmers Markets, neighborhood groups, libraries, and Realtor groups, Municipal Advisory Councils, service clubs, boys and girl’s clubs, water parks, or other identified organizations /venues;

COLLATERAL MATERIALS & BANNERS:

Consultant shall purchase materials from OLI-approved vendors to support presentations and kiosks, including a variety of age appropriate brochures, key chains, wristbands, pencils and bookmarks. OLI-branded banners for placement in the government buildings where high-traffic locations exist and reaches our target market.

Proposal deadline April 12th, 2017 to:

The Commission Office
4080 Lemon Street, 3rd Floor, Conference Room A
Riverside, CA 92501

Agencies with a strong California presence include APCO Worldwide, Weber Shandwick and Cohn & Wolfe.