Class 1 – Space Coast Area Transit  *Best of the Best*
Target Audience: College students on Facebook and Twitter
Project Cost: $0
Description: Social networking – specifically on Facebook and Twitter – has been a great tool in reaching college students, who primarily communicate and receive their news through social media versus traditional media outlets. There was no cost for set-up or to use real-time communication on an ongoing basis. By using FBML, Space Coast was able to turn their Facebook account into a mini website by creating tabs for route maps both in English and Spanish, and view Vanpool and Park & Ride information. Because Brevard Community College (BCC) pays us to let their students ride for free based on usage, increasing the amount of BCC students that ride the bus by increasing communication with them is very important to Space Coast Area Transit. In FY 09/10, over 94,000 BCC students rode transit, an increase of 56% from the prior FY.

Class 2 – PSTA
Target Audience: Business Leaders, local politicians and government staffers
Project Cost: $1,100
Description: Three local Chambers of Commerce sponsored a Transit Summit about Transit Oriented Development hosted by Karen Seel, Chairman of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners and coordinated by PSTA. PSTA worked with Paradise Advertising to develop a viral video encouraging people to attend the event.

The video was posted on PSTA’s website as well as the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s website and shown at their Community Conversation on Transit event. Over 400 people viewed the video, and the Summit was well attended.