WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 17, 2021) – The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is pleased to recognize the First Place winners of the association’s 2021 AdWheel Awards. The awards go to APTA member public transportation systems and business members in four categories, separated by system size, for outstanding marketing and communications efforts that contributed to strategic organizational goals. The exceptional communications and marketing efforts of these honorees led to greater safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased awareness of the value of public transportation in communities across North America.
There were 363 entries evaluated by 128 industry experts and First Place awards were presented in four categories: best marketing and communications on the COVID-19 pandemic, campaigns to support ridership or sales, educational efforts, and projects to highlight transit needs and funding.
First Place winners by size will face a final round of at-large judging against other winners to determine the Grand Awards, which will be presented at APTA’s TRANSform Conference and EXPO, November 7-10, 2021, in Orlando.
The First Place winners honored are listed below.
Organization Name | Group |
Best Print Media on the COVID-19 Pandemic | |
Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX | 1 |
Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA | 2 |
Société de transport de Montréal, Montréal, QC | 3 |
Complete Coach Works, Riverside, CA | 4 |
Best Electronic Media on COVID-19 | |
LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency (Pacific Surfliner), Orange, CA | 1 |
Spokane Transit Authority, Spokane, WA | 2 |
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA | 3 |
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), New York, NY | 4 |
Best Special Event on COVID-19 | |
Santa Clarita Transit, Santa Clarita, CA | 1 |
Sound Transit, Seattle, WA | 3 |
Best Social Media on COVID-19 | |
LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency (Pacific Surfliner), Orange, CA | 1 |
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, CA | 2 |
Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO | 3 |
Best Partnership on COVID-19 | |
Link Transit, Wenatchee, WA | 1 |
San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans/Caltrain), San Carlos, CA | 2 |
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY | 3 |
Miami-Dade Transit, Miami, FL | 3 |
Ohio Transit Risk Pool, Wadsworth, OH | 4 |
Best Shoestring Tactic on COVID-19 | |
Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (dba rabbittransit), York, PA | 1 |
Spokane Transit Authority, Spokane, WA | 2 |
Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Alexandria, VA | 2 |
Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO | 3 |
Best Comprehensive Campaign on COVID-19 | |
Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX | 1 |
Central Ohio Transit Authority, Columbus, OH | 2 |
Metra, Chicago, IL | 3 |
Metrolinx (GO Transit), Toronto, ON | 3 |
Siemens Mobility, Inc., Sacramento, CA | 4 |
Best Print Media to Support Ridership or Sales | |
Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, TX | 2 |
AC Transit (Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District), Oakland, CA | 3 |
ETA Transit Systems, Boca Raton, FL | 4 |
Siemens Mobility, Inc., Sacramento, CA | 4 |
Best Electronic Media to Support Ridership | |
Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL | 1 |
Palm Tran, West Palm Beach, FL | 2 |
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX | 3 |
Best Special Event to Support Ridership | |
Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (WHEELS), Livermore, CA | 1 |
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL | 2 |
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA | 3 |
Best Social Media to Support Ridership | |
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH | 1 |
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, CA | 2 |
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Cleveland, OH | 3 |
Best Partnership to Support Ridership | |
Solano County Transit (SolTrans), Vallejo, CA | 1 |
C-TRAN, Vancouver, WA | 2 |
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV | 3 |
Best Shoestring Tactic to Support Ridership | |
Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX | 1 |
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, CA | 2 |
Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore, MD | 3 |
Best Comprehensive Campaign to Support Ridership or Sales | |
Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL | 1 |
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), Des Moines, IA | 2 |
Sacramento Regional Transit District, Sacramento, CA | 3 |
INIT Innovations in Transportation Inc., Chesapeake, VA | 4 |
Moovit, San Mateo, CA | 4 |
Best Educational Print Media | |
Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (dba rabbittransit), York, PA | 1 |
C-TRAN, Vancouver, WA | 2 |
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA | 3 |
Complete Coach Works, Riverside, CA | 4 |
Best Educational Electronic Media | |
Salem Area Mass Transit District (Cherriots), Salem, OR | 1 |
Spokane Transit Authority, Spokane, WA | 2 |
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, TX | 3 |
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY | 3 |
INIT Innovations in Transportation Inc., Chesapeake, VA | 4 |
Best Educational Special Event | |
Madison County Transit District, Granite City, IL | 1 |
Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, TX | 2 |
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA | 3 |
Complete Coach Works, Riverside, CA | 4 |
Best Educational Social Media | |
Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX | 1 |
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, CA | 2 |
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, TX | 3 |
Lost Art Communications LLC, Loveland, OH | 4 |
Best Educational Partnership | |
Greensboro Transit Agency, Greensboro, NC | 1 |
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Kansas City, MO | 2 |
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, TX | 3 |
TransLoc Inc., Durham, NC | 4 |
Best Educational Shoestring Tactic | |
Central Midlands Council of Governments, Columbia, SC | 1 |
Spokane Transit Authority, Spokane, WA | 2 |
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY | 3 |
Best Educational Comprehensive Campaign | |
Go Triangle, Research Triangle Park, NC | 1 |
Salem Area Mass Transit District (Cherriots), Salem, OR | 1 |
Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL | 2 |
Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO | 3 |
Best Print Media to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding | |
Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (WHEELS), Livermore, CA | 1 |
VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX | 3 |
Best Electronic Media to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding | |
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, Tampa, FL | 1 |
Pierce Transit, Lakewood, WA | 2 |
Best Special Event to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding | |
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL | 2 |
VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX | 3 |
Best Partnership to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding | |
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH | 1 |
LYNX – Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando, FL | 3 |
Best Comprehensive Campaign to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding | |
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, Tampa, FL | 1 |
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL | 2 |
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX | 3 |
Oklahoma Transit Association, Oklahoma City, OK | 4 |
Based on 2019 ridership numbers – Group 1: Less than four million annual riders; Group 2: 4 to 20 million annual riders; Group 3: More than 20 million annual riders; and Group 4: Business members.
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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public- and private-sector organizations which represent a $80 billion industry that directly employs 448,000 people and supports millions of private sector jobs. APTA members are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products.