Improving urban mobility through data-driven advocacy and inclusive community engagement

FUNDER: Multiple, Lead Funders: Transit Center, The Miami Foundation, Microsoft
LOCATION: Miami-Dade County
STATUS: Organization fully developed, support ongoing as needed
TIMELINE: January 2017 - ongoing
WEBSITE: transitalliance.miami

CHALLENGE

Transportation is one of Miami-Dade County’s most pressing challenges yet one of our community’s most potentially transformative and impactful issue. County residents struggle through a disconnected web of mobility services that include infrequent, unreliable bus service, 25 separate trolley/circulator services, elevated rail with ongoing mechanical failures, unsafe roads for pedestrians and cyclists, and nonexistent bike/ped pathways.

The county’s lack of mobility options and singular focus on auto-centric transportation has an increasingly negative impact on our community’s economic, physical, social, and environmental well-being.

Solution

Since its inception, Urban Impact Lab has been actively involved in addressing and improving Miami-Dade County’s urban mobility challenges. Given the large extent of transportation advocacy needs, the Urban Impact Lab team quickly realized a dedicated effort focused exclusively on transportation was necessary.

In 2016, the Urban Impact Lab team began the process of creating Transit Alliance Miami, a separate 501c3 organization seeking to improve transit, walking, and biking for the Miami-Dade community. Publicly launched in June 2017, Transit Alliance Miami takes a strategic, inclusive, and data-driven approach to advocating for needed improvements.

Our role

Urban Impact Lab created and continues to incubate Transit Alliance Miami. The Urban Impact Lab team has leveraged its considerable expertise in strategy development, engagement, and program design and implementation as well as its significant network to build Transit Alliance’s sustainability and success.

Urban Impact Lab provides organizational visioning and strategic development, board development, policy and advocacy development, program strategy, government relations, communications planning and implementation, fundraising and financial management, and administrative support.

Results & Impact

Creation of a non-profit organization focused on improving local urban mobility issues.

Development and management of 5 board of directors.
Securing of funding via grant writing and donations for campaign implementation and organizational growth.
Completion of 6 diverse campaigns, each addressing a specific mobility or policy issue.
Strategy and implementation support for all Transit Alliance campaigns, including research, data analysis, communications strategy, advocacy development, and government relations.
Implementation of successful advocacy strategies, including Stop Transit Cuts (link) and Bus Redesign (link).
Consistent growth in online community engagement, via social media, email, website, and other digital platforms.

Insights

Through the process of incubating organizations like Transit Alliance Miami we have the opportunity to build more than a great, solutions-focused organization. Ultimately, we cultivate civic leaders who are deeply informed, engaged and connected and therefore more impactful in their communities.