Metro Transit is proposing "an innovative solution" that allows the agency to generate additional income by partially wrapping some of its buses with vinyl advertising.
The partial wrap of buses would respond to concerns about visibility inside full-wrap buses while creating a new medium to help fund transit operations.
Last fall, the Metropolitan King County Council directed Metro to phase out its full-wrap bus advertising program due to concerns expressed by some passengers that their views were obscured and the bus interiors were dark. If the advertising program that was restricted to 25 buses - less than 2 percent of Metro's fleet - is eliminated, the agency estimates it will lose $743,000 of revenue in 2008.
"We always strive to be innovative and entrepreneurial to find revenues that help keep bus fares low while increasing our service," said County Executive Ron Sims. "That is why I asked Metro to develop a modified wrapped-bus advertising program that still brings in critically needed revenue while addressing the concerns of our customers."
Metro would be the first transit agency in the country to offer this type of partial-wrap to advertisers. Metro believes the new partial wrap advertising option can generate interest from national and local clients to advertise on Metro's fleet and become a model for other transit agencies to follow.
Under the proposal, only a portion of the bus side windows would be covered. This will provide potential advertisers with enough coverage to justify the premium rates for such advertising, while preserving unobstructed, clear window space along the entire length of the bus for improved passenger visibility and comfort.
A partial-wrap program would generate less revenue than a full-bus wrap, so the agency is proposing to allow up to 50 partial wraps at a time. That could yield $450,000 to $900,000 a year in transit revenue.
While Metro is phasing out the full-wrap advertising, the agency said other transit organizations in the region will continue to offer full-wrap advertising.
