County Commission | The Magazine April 2017 | Page 17

FROM THE COVER ECRT goes big on advertising Gadsden Regional Medical Center saw the value of advertising with Etowah County Rural Transportation right away and reserved the entire left side of the buses, said Director Lora Weaver. E towah County is the latest in a growing number of counties that have tapped into another revenue stream to help fund their rural transportation programs, which many residents rely on for rides to doctor’s appointments, dialysis or the grocery store. Riders typically pay a small fare, but the bulk of funding for these programs comes from the county and from federal grants. For Etowah County, riders pay a $6 fare to utilize a program that, altogether, costs a little less than $400,000 a year, said Lora Weaver, director of Etowah County Rural Transportation (ECRT). But since February of this year, there are advertisers paying to emblazon their messages on the soon-to-be 6 ECRT buses crisscrossing the county, from Ballplay in the east to Egypt in the west. “We’re looking at approximately $24,000 in revenue annually,” Weaver said. “That helps a lot.” She started the project by checking with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), which administers federal grants for rural transportation. After a request for proposals, the county commission contracted with someone locally Etowah County who handles ad sales, production and installation. “He does all the work,” Weaver said, noting that the county commission and ALDOT must approve all ads. ECRT considered attaching brackets to the buses to hold small, interchangeable signs, but instead went big with wrap-style ads that advertisers purchase for a year. “It gives the advertiser a whole lot bigger area to catch people’s attention – plus it brings in more revenue,” Weaver said. “Brilliant Ideas” are not necessarily unique. Sometimes the smartest move you can make is to replicate what works in other counties. Weaver said she received excellent advice from other rural transportation programs that had already started advertising initiatives, such as Baldwin and Houston counties as well as the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments, which serves Colbert, Lauderdale, Franklin, Marion and Winston counties. She’s also got an eye on the possibility of advertising inside the bu ses. ECRT operates on a demand response basis, meaning that riders schedule ideally at least a day in advance for trips that can be 30-40 miles one way. Last year, ECRT made 2,367 trips during the busiest quarter (January-March). “We use all the money we bring in to offset the cost to the county,” Weaver said. n To find out more about this Brilliant Idea at Work in Etowah County, contact Lora Weaver, director of transportation, at 256- 547-1014 or [email protected]. COUNTY COMMISSION | 17