AC Transit’s Dedicated Site, ACTForMe.org, Paints a Brilliant and Loving Portrait of the Benefits of Public Transit

AC Transit operates a very sophisticated bus transportation system in the San Francisco Bay area, handling more than 65 million passengers annually in an area covering 364 square miles.  That’s pretty impressive. 

But what really impressed me is the fact that they also make excellent use of the web to tell a story that turns taking the bus into the obvious transportation choice.

AC Transit has created ACT for Me as “Your Guide to the Future of Public Transit.”  They illustrate why AC Transit should be an integral part of your life by sharing a creative range of content—from user-generated videos, to a savings calculator, to a discussion of community and environment benefits, and the exciting future of transit.

Lots of images of happy riders with capsule explanations of their love of AC Transit make an authentic case for their service.  For example, they quote Reginald James, a rider since 1986, “By taking AC Transit I don’t have to worry about rising gas prices and vehicle maintenance costs. Plus, I enjoy riding the bus. I like talking to the different bus drivers and I really appreciate the free wireless internet on the transbay buses.”  Mr. James and his many fellow, real-live riders suggest that becoming an AC Transit regular would be not only the right thing but perhaps even the enjoyable thing to do.

ACT for Me created a fun contest to inspire its passengers to create webisodes that illustrate how the AC transit bus system contributes to making their daily lives better.The contest winner is a delightful video about a young girl and her mom who go to the park every Sunday–and of course take the bus to get there. You can click here to watch the brief video.

AC Transit has done a superb job of enticing Bay Area residents out of their cars and onto the bus by putting a very human face on public transit as the smart alternative to clogged roadways and greenhouse gases. Take a look at what AC Transit is doing on the web to promote public transportation 24 hours a day, seven days a week: ACTforMe.org. it’s a superb use of content by a public agency that rivals anything you might expect from a profit driven corporation.