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Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

Client: Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority
Industry: Public Transportation

Challenge:

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority wanted to understand the community’s perception and sentiments towards the transportation organization. They wanted to uncover their strengths as well as inefficiencies to help improve business strategies and deliver value to Hillsborough County residents.

Solution:

HART leadership met with HCP’s research staff to discuss the organization’s goals and envisioned outcomes. HCP worked to create a methodology specific to the transportation authority to gather quantifiable data and establish a baseline study of Hillsborough citizen sentiments.

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority sought out help from HCP Associates; the transportation organization wanted to determine three things—what the community knows about the organization, what they think they know, and what they don’t know. HCP worked to create a community sentiment study to produce quantifiable data for HART. Efforts would serve as a benchmark for leadership, offering insight in development of future communication and marketing plans as well as big-picture business strategies.

The survey was able to reveal rider and non-rider sentiments, knowledge, and feedback to the transit authority. There are many opportunities, improvements to be made, and positive sentiments that were confirmed for HART. HCP presented their findings internally and then to the Finance and Audit Committee on October 15, 2018. The finance committee presentation from HCP can be accessed on HART’s website: http://www.gohart.org/Board%20PDFs/Presentation%20%20HART%20Community%20Sentiment%20Study_FINAL.pdf.

As a firm located in Hillsborough County, HCP was pleased to establish a baseline for HART. The team looks forward to repeating the survey in the future, working with HART to ensure the data is useful in indicating year over improvements and future priorities.

HCP offered recommendations to HART in the following categories—communication, community outreach, route accessibility, and funding. The full report can  be accessed through HART’s website: http://www.gohart.org/Board%20PDFs/HART%20Full%20Report_Final.pdf.