“Trick Out Your Trip” With ioby and TransitCenter

How would you improve your transit experience? OK, maybe not with a Persian rug and a harpist. But shelter and a place to sit couldn’t hurt, right? And how about some better lighting and safer pedestrian features along your way to the stop?

Those small, inexpensive improvements are the target of a new campaign by TransitCenter and the crowdfunding platform ioby. TransitCenter will be offering match funds to support “at least 10 ioby projects” aiming to improve the transit experience. That means you need to crowdfund support for your idea on ioby, and then TransitCenter will match it -- up to $4,000. Projects shouldn't exceed a $10,000 total budget.

Unlike grants to transit agencies -- marked by cumbersome red tape and big money for big equipment -- this process is led by the transit user. TransitCenter and ioby are out to “put riders at the center of creating, funding, implementing and stewarding amenities, entertainment, convenience and comfort in transit hubs,” according to ioby co-founder Erin Barnes.

The organizations call the matching fund campaign “Trick Out My Trip,” and they’re hoping to find cheap and easy ways to make the commuter experience “faster, more reliable, more comfortable (in terms of lighting, sounds, temperature and smell), safer, with more opportunities to get home faster (with pedestrian friendly paths, carpooling or bike sharing) and to take care of other errands as part of the commute (to go to the post office, library or grocery), and to make it easy on the people who need better transit options most, like families, the very young and the very old.”

Bike-share, ride-share, and pedestrian improvements are also fair game. TransitCenter and ioby are up for funding improvements to any mode of "clean transportation."

“While we always support better service overall, we hope small-scale projects will inspire institutions and governments and other communities to consider non-capital improvements for their customers, the riders of public transportation,” says Shin-pei Tsay of TransitCenter.

You have until October 6 to let them know you’re interested. Visit ioby for details.