FLAW
When approached by a volunteer organization called FLAW (Fort Lauderdale is Against the WAVE) in late 2017, the 2.8-mile, $200 million WAVE street car project first proposed in 2003 was considered a “done deal,” having gained federal funding and approval from the Broward County and Fort Lauderdale City officials. Publicity Group studied the project, quickly determined that while it may have been viable in 2003 as a way to help develop downtown, based on the consultancy’s considerable transportation expertise, the Wave technology was dated, cumbersome, impractical and would fall victim to four relatively recent transportation alternatives: autonomy, electrification, Uber and Lyft.
Still, beating city hall is a tall task. As in it almost never happens. But this time, FLAW made a difference. Between publicity initiated by Publicity Group that questioned the viability of the WAVE project in newspapers and influential blogs, and heavy FLAW turnouts at local government and neighborhood meetings, the tide began to turn. FLAW helped campaign for mayoral and council candidates who were known to oppose the WAVE, and in March they were indeed elected by a citizenry that wanted the WAVE stopped dead in its tracks.
The result: a 5-4 county approval and 3-2 city approval turned into a 9-0 county vote against and a 3-2 city vote against. It became a headline writer’s dream scenario: WAVE Goodbye here.