“Trick Out My Trip” Campaign Brings Rider-Led Transit Projects to Life

ioby (In Our Backyards) and TransitCenter announced a joint campaign to support citizen leadership in public transportation. The second “Trick Out My Trip” campaign will provide up to $50,000 in matching funds for citizen leaders who raise money through ioby’s online crowdfunding platform.

While major improvements to transit infrastructure can cost billions of dollars and take decades to implement, small-scale, short-term improvements can have a real impact on how citizens experience public transportation. ioby and TransitCenter are seeking new ideas that improve the transit experience by making it faster, safer, more reliable, more comfortable, and easier for all riders.

"How would you make your transit trip better? Trick Out My Trip empowers citizens to make changes they identify for their stations or bus stops in something close to real-time," said TransitCenter executive director David Bragdon.

As part of the last Trick Out My Trip campaign in 2014, ten groups across the country raised over $25,000 in small donations, which were matched for a total of more than $50,000. Citizens funded and built temporary and permanent projects at transit hubs, public art and signage, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and posted bus schedules at bus stops. Some held public events and celebrations encouraging transit use.

ioby will train Trick Out My Trip participants in online fundraising, and participants will collaborate with their local transit agencies to plan and implement their ideas. Projects are encouraged to use inexpensive and quick-to-implement designs that communities across the country can replicate easily.

“In the last Trick Out My Trip campaign, citizen leaders demonstrated that small improvements have an incredible power to improve riders’ experience and build valuable relationships between citizens and transit agency decisionmakers,” says Erin Barnes, ioby co-founder and executive director. “We are excited to bring this program back. We can’t wait to see the great ideas that transit riders bring to life.”