City of Columbia Missouri

P.O. BOX 6015
COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2014

CONTACT: Columbia Public Works
(573) 874-7250

Revealing a new look for Columbia Transit designed by local students

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

Over the past year, the City of Columbia and Columbia Transit have been working on a community project to overhaul and improve the local public transportation system. After months of public input and anticipation, Columbia Transit is now excited to finally unveil a whole new look for the local bus line at a public ceremony next week.

Customers will already recognize the name COMO Connect as the name of the year-long project initiated in 2013 to overhaul the bus routes, but now it will also be replacing the dated "Columbia Transit" brand that has been stagnant for at least a couple of decades. The City knew that the bus line needed major improvements in service and marketing, and the new brand will be a great way to launch the more efficient system that is replacing it. Columbia Transit has been working with Creative Ink, a professional student-run marketing firm at Stephens College, from the start of the project. The talented team of students worked closely with city staff and the community to determine the needs of the new bus system and spent months filtering through ideas to develop a new transit brand that was innovative, customer focused, and exciting.

"The City was very excited to be able to utilize the talents of our local Stephens College students on this project. The Creative Ink program was a perfect fit for our needs and helped us connect to the student population here in Columbia. Rebranding the entire bus line is a huge undertaking for the City, and the students we worked with just blew us away with their innovative ideas and professional attitudes. We couldn't have done it without them." Drew Brooks, Multi-Modal Manager.

The long awaited new COMO Connect brand will be dramatically revealed on Tuesday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The public is invited to attend this event and join the excitement of a new chapter for transportation in our community.  The ceremony will include a short presentation by City staff and Kate Gray of Creative Ink, as well as an official ribbon-cutting by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, refreshments, information about the new bus routes, and a prize raffle. The new brand will officially take effect with the new COMO Connect transit system launching in August, but the City is working hard already to educate customers about the changes well in advance and increase interest in public transportation in the community.

What: COMO Connect Rebranding Announcement and Ribbon-Cutting

When: Tuesday, June 3rd, 12:00pm

Where: Rollins Street in front of the MU Student Center on Campus



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

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