Business View Magazine - Mar 2024

lifeline. Strategic partnerships and community-oriented initiatives amplify the service’s success.“Particularly in Calistoga, collaboration with local hotels and the visitor’s bureau has been key in promoting this service, offering free or low-cost rides to encourage use among tourists,” Schenck adds. This symbiotic relationship between transit services and tourism enhances visitor experiences and supports sustainable travel practices within the wine country. Addressing the community’s diverse needs, NVTA ensures accessibility extends beyond digital platforms.“Acknowledging the varied comfort levels with technology among our residents, especially older populations, we maintain traditional call-in options for scheduling rides,” Schenck states. This inclusivity ensures that essential services like VineGo, NVTA’s paratransit offering, remain accessible to those with mobility or cognitive challenges, underscoring NVTA’s dedication to serving all community members. MARKETING FOR CHANGE Misconceptions often mar the perception of public transportation, and NVTA’s strategic marketing efforts aim to reshape opinions and highlight the convenience and sustainability of public transit. The challenge of altering entrenched perceptions is not trivial, particularly in a historically and culturally rich region like Napa Valley. Schenck is addressing the perception challenge head- on, acknowledging the historical context shaping current attitudes toward Napa Valley public transit. “We’ve been contending with changing perceptions since the early 1900s,” she remarks, highlighting the region’s long-standing relationship with rail travel, now epitomized by the Napa ValleyWine Train’s focus on tourism. This historical backdrop sets the stage for NVTA’s contemporary efforts to weave public transit into the valley’s lifestyle, leveraging local hospitality and landmark events as entry points for new and occasional riders. NVTA is leveraging partnerships and targeted strategies to normalize public transit use, collaborating with local Calistoga hotels to offer guests shuttle passes. Schenck highlights the initiative’s rationale: “This gesture of support from where you’re staying signals that public transit is not just available but encouraged.” By adjusting service schedules to accommodate attendees at prominent events like the music festival BottleRock, NVTA emphasizes the benefits of public transportation. NVTA also focuses on regional collaboration, with Schenck noting the significance of “Connecting 147 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 03 NAPA VALLEY TRANSPORTAT ION AUTHORI TY