Transit service pushes for teen ridership

Community Transit will make a push to increase teen ridership this summer with hip innovations such as using a MySpace page and creating a video for YouTube — both heavy Internet hangouts for the younger generation.

It's perhaps Community Transit's largest effort to date to add younger riders to its lines that run daily throughout Snohomish County and into King County.

Already one in five riders on local routes use youth fares, which are required for riders ages 11-17. Youth fares are 50 cents less than the $1.25 general fare.

But officials at Community Transit say that number could be greater and it's important to promote ridership among younger people now in order to keep riders into the future.

"This is an important opportunity for increasing ridership," said Janna Snider, Community Transit's marketing manager. "We feel we could do better in getting young people used to riding the bus and taking away any fears they might have."

Community Transit has taken advice from high-school students on the Lynnwood Teen Advisory Group, which helps advise the city's parks and recreation department on what programs to offer students.

The transit agency will link with Lynnwood Parks and Recreation through the summer and possibly the fall to reach students and get the word out that riding the bus is "freeing and fun."

To do that, Community Transit is relying on Matthew Gormley, a promotions and outreach specialist who formerly worked for Stevens Pass, to design messages that click with youth. Gormley has helped create a MySpace page, at www.myspace.com/communitytransit, that offers prizes to visitors who become "friends" with the page and offer advice on how to improve the ridership experience for younger passengers.

Gormley also will help create an informational video geared toward younger passengers for YouTube, another frequent Web-surfing spot for teens.

"MySpace is a major attraction with kids, so we're trying to get the message out to youth that way," Gormley said. "We're trying to meet kids on their terms so that they're into it."

Teens are mixed when it comes to riding the bus. Those with cars don't need it, and those without sometimes aren't allowed to ride because parents fear it isn't safe.

Still, for some, it's a necessary means of travel throughout the county. Friday afternoon, Ani Dorsett, 16, was waiting for the bus that would take her home. The Everett High School student said she uses Community Transit probably twice a month, mostly "just to travel around," to the mall, Marysville or even Seattle.

"The good thing is that you don't have to rely on anybody else for a ride," Dorsett said. "But I admit, there's fewer teens riding the bus than one would expect."

Dorsett isn't sure how effective MySpace or YouTube will be for Community Transit. "Unless you're searching specifically for it, it might be hard to find," she said.

But Khai Button, 18, said he thought it was cool Community Transit was making the effort.

"It's probably a good idea — but only if it's something that's going to be entertaining or amusing," he said. Button doesn't ride the bus because his changing schedule doesn't allow it, he said, adding he has a car to use.

"But I've plenty of friends that do, and they say they like it," he said.

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com