Business View Magazine - January 2024

are pretty good. So, we usually recruit regularly for drivers as well as mechanics.” SPREADING THE WORD ON THE “M” TRANSIT As Montgomery works to raise brand awareness as the “M Transit”, they have partnered with outside marketing firm inMM Group, Christopher D. Thomas, Founder and CEO and are leveraging various channels, including social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, for widespread exposure.Additionally, they have worked with a local magazine, and television ads to reach diverse audiences. “When we do bring in a new service as we did with our micro-transit, I would have what is called a public service meeting to explain to them the different ways to do it,” Tensley portrays. “We get out there at different events, and we just park the vehicle or vehicles there and have handouts for them. We’re doing the best we can to get the word out. We put Flyers out on vehicles at the parking lots here downtown to explain what is going on.” PRESERVING THE PAST AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Even with its forward-thinking approach and array of technological advancements, Montgomery Transit continues to provide a live phone number, allowing individuals to connect with an operator for assistance, answers to questions, and guidance in navigating the transit system. Montgomery Transit also prioritizes education, deploying extra buses on specific routes, ensuring accessibility for school children and college students, and offering discounted student passes for students attending Alabama State University and Auburn University’s Montgomery campus, with dedicated routes running directly through their locations. The educational aspect is further enriched by the inclusion of historical artifacts, such as a replica of the Rosa Parks bus and the refurbished Freedom Riders Greyhound bus, showcasing the city’s important connection to the civil rights movement. Looking ahead, Montgomery Transit has ambitious plans on its horizon. Tensley highlights his goals, which include a fleet replacement, bolstering PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Genfare www.genfare.com As a partner to 400+ transit agencies, Genfare elevates public transit by building mobility solutions that simplify the rider experience, empower equity, and connect communities. As the industry leader in innovative fare collection solutions for more than 40 years, we serve transit agencies, their riders, and their communities. ridership, route adjustments as well adding more buses to routes to decrease the frequency of bus wait time on routes and expanding the success of the micro-transit service to new zones. He also hopes to strengthen community engagement, refurbish facilities, and raise brand awareness as the M.Transit. As a final thought he emphasizes,“I just want to keep getting the M. Transit out there to the people, to let them know that we’re here, we’re new and we’re going to be growing.” 238 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01 MONTGOMERY TRANSI T