News WBA Supports Innovative Transportation Program

Posted by WBA Research    Apr 17, 2024   0 comments

Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) is Arlington County’s business-to-business transportation consulting organization. ATP is a program of Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS), a bureau of Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services. ACCS serves people who live in, work in, or visit Arlington County through programs and services that are designed to encourage the use of mass transit, carpooling and vanpooling, bicycling, walking, teleworking, and other alternatives to driving alone. ATP offers transportation expertise and complimentary assistance to give businesses, residential communities, and commercial properties a competitive edge and to help improve transportation amenities and commuter benefits. These services and programs have significant impacts on commuting patterns, traffic congestion, personal health, and air quality in Arlington County.

ATP launched the Champions program in 2013. At the end of 2013 and again in 2017, WBA conducted focus groups for the program to determine the attitudes and perceptions of ATP among its employer clients and prospective clients. Since then, ATP has expanded its client base from employers to schools, hotels, and commercial and residential multi-family properties. Although participation and enrollment has increased annually, ATP is continuously challenged by organizations that do not enroll in the Champions program from year to year.

In 2023, ATP again commissioned WBA Research to conduct a focus group study on its Champions program. The motivation behind the study was to gain a deeper understanding of various motivations, perspectives, and perceptions of ATP clients that influence the following:

  • ATP and Champions program brand awareness, program value, and brand recognition,
  • Awareness and use of ATP resources and marketing materials,
  • Perception of the economic climate,
  • Perception and views about Arlington County, particularly new developments around the County and transportation infrastructure and amenities unique to the County, and
  • Telework arrangements and related incentives.

To gain actionable insight on these issues, qualitative research (in-person focus groups, virtual focus groups and interviews) was conducted among six different groups, spanning four types of ATP clients (e.g., Multi-Family Residential (MFR), Commercial, Employer, Hotels). The research provided valuable insights used by ATP to further evolve the program as the County and the public (employers, employees, residents, visitors, etc.) continue to evolve in their needs for and uses of various transportation types.