405 Forward Program

Overview

405 Forward is a free business‑support and marketing program created under the I‑405 Improvement Project to help local businesses stay visible during the multi‑year construction of the 16‑mile freeway corridor. Led by OCTA in partnership with corridor cities, the program promotes restaurants, retailers, and service providers impacted by construction through advertising, social media, and an interactive business map. With nearly 75% of participating businesses being Vietnamese‑owned, the program reflects the corridor’s cultural diversity and the success of targeted Asian‑community outreach. ArrowGTP served as the Asian‑community engagement lead, ensuring multilingual, culturally responsive communication throughout the construction phase.

Goals

The program aims to keep corridor businesses connected to customers by providing free marketing tools, multilingual outreach, and real‑time construction updates. It seeks to strengthen community awareness, encourage residents to shop local, and maintain business visibility during construction disruptions. A key goal is to support Vietnamese and Asian‑owned businesses—who make up the majority of the corridor—through culturally informed engagement, storytelling, and community partnerships.

Approach

405 Forward promotes businesses through a mix of free advertising, social media campaigns, spotlight videos, and digital storytelling. Businesses are featured on an interactive map and the project website, making it easier for residents to discover and support them. ArrowGTP executed extensive outreach across the 16‑mile corridor, including canvassing, multilingual digital engagement, business‑offer mapping, and construction alerts. Outreach also included 150 neighborhood meetings, open houses, and public meetings; canvassing 1.2 million construction flyers; and participating in nearly 100 community events. A dedicated Facebook group provides a space for businesses and residents to share updates, promotions, and recommendations, creating a continuous communication loop throughout construction.

Services

• Multilingual business outreach — corridor‑wide engagement across Vietnamese and Asian communities.
• Free marketing support — ads, social media features, and spotlight videos.
• Interactive map placement — visibility on the 405 Forward business directory.
• Construction alerts distribution — timely updates for businesses and community members.
• Community event participation — presence at meetings, fairs, and corridor activations.

Key Contribution

ArrowGTP led Asian‑community engagement and communications, ensuring Vietnamese and other Asian business owners received timely, accessible, and culturally relevant information. The team delivered multilingual ads, digital engagement, spotlight videos, and business‑offer mapping to strengthen visibility during construction. Outreach covered the full 16‑mile corridor, building an email database of more than 10,000 contacts, engaging 1,500+ businesses, and securing 300+ partners. This work amplified the voices of corridor businesses, strengthened partnerships with cities, and ensured that diverse communities remained informed and supported throughout the I‑405 Improvement Project.

Results

405 Forward has grown to more than 178 participating businesses, with nearly three‑quarters being Vietnamese‑owned—demonstrating strong engagement from the Little Saigon corridor. The program has delivered free advertising, social media promotion, and interactive map placement to help businesses maintain customer traffic during construction. Outreach efforts have included 150+ public meetings, 1.2 million flyers canvassed, and nearly 100 community events, supported by multilingual digital campaigns and construction alerts. The program continues to strengthen city partnerships and provide a consistent platform for highlighting local establishments, reinforcing economic resilience along the I‑405 corridor.

Visuals

• OCTA I-405 Project Updates & Tết Greetings 2022
• OCTA Chuc Tet 2022