Transit Resources

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono discuss the significance of bus stop amenities in enhancing the transit experience. They explore how features like shelters, seating, and real-time displays impact rider comfort, perceived wait times, and overall satisfaction. Learn how transit planners prioritize amenities based on demand, right-of-way considerations, and cost-effectiveness. Whether you’re a transit enthusiast or a transit professional, this episode provides key insights into transforming ordinary stops into appealing and functional parts of the transit network.

Boca Raton, FL. April 22, 2025. ETAs, a leading provider of innovative transit technology solutions, is proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its successful CAD/AVL system deployment with High Valley Transit in partnership with their operator Via. Since the system’s launch in April 2024, the collaboration has transformed the efficiency and reliability of High Valley Transit’s fixed-route operations, addressing key challenges with previous technology and significantly improving the rider’s experience.

In this festive episode of Stop Requested, Levi and Christian explore the delightful tradition of transit buses taking center stage in holiday parades and celebrations. From historical roots in London and New York City to the behind-the-scenes efforts of transit agencies, they discuss how these rolling holiday displays strengthen community ties and promote public transit. They also share insights on planning holiday services, detours, and the logistical challenges of decorating and staffing these events. Celebrate the season with us and discover how transit agencies nationwide are spreading holiday cheer!

Boca Raton, FL. March 18, 2024. ETA, a leading CAD/AVL bus technology provider, and Via, the global leader in TransitTech, have partnered to upgrade the Sioux Area Metro (SAM) public transit network in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In a mere four weeks, ETA deployed a state of the art 26 bus fixed route ITS project. More impressively, ETA demonstrated their dedication by completing the bus installation in one week during the December 2023 holiday season.

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Jarice Rodriguez, Chief of Paratransit Operations and Services for Miami-Dade County. As part of the ongoing Miami-Dade series, Jarice shares how her team is rethinking accessibility across one of the nation’s largest ADA paratransit programs. The conversation explores universal design, accessible journeys, and why accessibility must extend beyond the vehicle to every part of a rider’s trip. Jarice also discusses Miami-Dade’s work to modernize paratransit through integrated technology, real-time information, and NaviLens wayfinding tools that can help riders navigate complex transit facilities more independently.

As technology continues its rapid advancement, the future of GTFS development is marked by a commitment to addressing real-world challenges and embracing emerging innovations. Recent contributions and pull requests to the GTFS repository demonstrate an ongoing effort to refine and enhance the specification.

Staff engagement is a critical, yet often overlooked component to new system adoption. As advanced and capable as the current generation of intelligent transit technology is, its performance will always be hampered by incorrect or inconsistent use. For all the time and resources spent in securing these solutions, it’s important to also invest in those people charged with using the system most frequently. A staff that sees technology as a benefit to their responsibilities, and not an obstacle, will outperform those who cannot make the association between technology and performance.

Public transit is ready for some screen time. Advancements in mobile data delivery has opened a substantial opportunity for transit agencies to improve the overall transit experience, attract riders, and create a new revenue stream to help supplement operations, improve service to core constituents, and support area business. It’s no secret that revenue and funding represent two persistent issues for transit agencies across the country. Ridership is down in most major cities[1] and fares are on the rise. Mass transit operators are caught in a difficult position. They know the demographics of their riders skew toward lower income households with 65.7 percent earning under 50,000 per year.[2] Rising costs seem at odds with an industry whose primary users are those of limited financial means. Modern intelligent transit systems (ITS) help optimize operations and efficiency of mass transportation operations. They can streamline routes. Data collected from these systems can help identify obsolete stops, save on fuel expenses, and identify passenger behavior. While these systems can help skinny up the bottom line, they don’t provide a new pathway to increased revenue. For that, you need advertising. On-board advertising The placement of ads on mass transit vehicles isn’t a new concept. We’re all familiar with big printed signs plastered on the sides of the local bus, or larger-than-life posters displayed at stops. Print is very 20^th century, and our society is very high-tech—and very connected. That’s where on-board and at-station infotainment systems come into play. Infotainment provides a multimedia platform that delivers information to travelers via existing or new-installs of high-definition digital displays. The implementation of an infotainment system can help agencies leverage captive “eyeballs” in ways that improve the rider experience—and can generate a potentially huge revenue stream. For example, the Metro in Washington, D.C. will earn over $20 million in advertising revenue this year. Its high definition displays outperform its static, printed ads by 400% (Klein, 2017). In the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Metro Transit operations see 65 percent of its revenue come from just 38 displays at two stations (Klein, 2017). Digital displays mean more inventory The presence of digital displays provides greater inventory than traditional static, printed placards. This means that more ads are be sold on vehicles and transit stations, which translates into a greater opportunity for higher advertising revenue. Leverage existing on-board GPS-features to trigger ads that run at specific locations or times. Clearly an ad that runs at the same time a the bus passes next to a participating store or restaurant represents a significant value to the advertiser. The size of a transit agency is of little concern. Even small, five- to 10-bus operations can benefit from incorporating these systems on their vehicles. A common concern is bandwidth; large transit agencies have larger budgets and devote resources to selling space on their vehicles. Smaller agencies however, have minimal staffing with fewer resources to dedicate to advertising sales. “Partnerships are extremely important, especially for the smaller agencies,” adds Maglio. “Many billboard companies such as Comcast or Lamar are ideal candidates to sell into your available inventory, as will local advertising agencies. Making these places aware of the existence of these systems makes generating revenue easier.” Infotainment systems can inject critical new funding into any transit operation while increasing brand value and improving the overall ridership experience. “It certainly makes for a more enjoyable ride and affords the transit agencies the resources to make significant investments into other areas of their operations,” concludes Maglio. Boca Raton, FL-based ETAs provides complete intelligent transit systems, including infotainment solutions. For sales and information, please call 800-382-0917 or visit etatransit.com [1] (Klein, 2017) [2] (American Public Transportation Association, 2007)

ETA is proud to announce the upcoming launch of its new public transit rider mobile app, built to improve real-time bus tracking, stop searchability, and overall transit system navigation.

Is it a fair assumption to say that public transit has a perception problem? When we poll riders and non-riders alike, adjectives like dirty, slow, uncomfortable, inefficient, and unsafe appear with regularity. A look into pop-culture reflects the industry much the same way; dirty taxis, buses that belch smoke, trains that are loud and crusted in soot—and of course, they’re always running late or leaving stops too early. The inspiration for this blog comes from a Florida Trend editorial from Mark R. Howard entitled “Yesterday’s Solutions for Florida’s Transportation Problems” in which he calls out the all-too-familiar shortcomings of public transit “the ride … took about twice as long as it takes me to drive,” and “it didn’t save me any money” or my personal favorite, “the bus was clean, but so spartan, so colorless, that the rides while utilitarian, could never really be pleasant.” There was “nothing …” Howard states, “to entice casual riders like me to make the bus a real transportation option … or to make regular users of the bus feel like customers rather than cargo.” Ouch. There’s a reason why clichés are clichés—they’re based in observations gathered over an extended period. But are they always true? And more specifically to this situation, how accurate are these perceptions when weighed against modern transit environments? Is it even appropriate to paint with such a wide brush? After all, as a provider of intelligent transit solutions—technology-based systems designed to increase operational performance, reduce travel times, and improve the ridership experience—we know that transit agencies across the country are investing heavily in hardware and software with the purpose of changing how we use mass transit. Changing the perception of public transit has its advocates on both regional and national levels. Entities such as the American Public Transportation Association, spend significant resources lobbying for legislation and promoting public transit interests. But what about the local levels? Importance of marketing in changing the conversation While transit agencies have been increasingly investing financial resources to procure technology to make routes more efficient and to make rides more comfortable, what is also obvious is that transit agencies are woefully understaffed and underfunded when it comes to engaging the public on what these investments mean to their riders and overall experience. This becomes an important consideration as it closes the communication loop. If the public is unaware of the changes made to improve on-time performance or enhance the rider experience, how can anyone expect a shift in long-held opinions regarding the quality of any agency’s transit service? Marketing provides anyone—including transit agencies—the chance to clue people in on what’s really going on with their transportation provider. A strategic marketing initiative: Builds awareness Guides the conversation Encourages engagement Influences decisions Drives action In the absence of marketing efforts leaves people to draw their own conclusions and opinions based on incomplete or one-sided information. What good is it to invest in technology that improves the experience of public transit when the only people who know about it are the ones already on the bus (or shuttle, train, etc.)? That’s a case of marketing to the converted; preaching to the choir. It does little to encourage potential new customers to rethink their position on the use of public transit and incorporating its benefit into their lives. This is common sense and not likely to serve as a revelation to anyone who serves in the public transit industry. A few tidbits of information from AdWeek which tend to catch people by surprise is just how much the act of marketing impacts the bottom line. For example: Cuts to the marketing budget typically result a 20-30 percent reduction to income Cuts to marketing affect long-term sales for up to five years after budgets have been restored Cutting to marketing jeopardizes your brand and reduce market share by shifting future reductions to areas where it really hurts like staffing, pricing, and service Companies who consistently engage customers can leverage the conversation around their value proposition better than those that don’t Historically-speaking, companies that continue to dedicate resources to marketing outperform those who do not. The financial reality of transit marketing While it makes sense that marketing can play a critical role in changing this perception, it’s also important when exploring this idea is to understand just how underfunded public transit systems are in the United States. The Federal Transit Administration has requested $11.2 billion in funding for public transit funds in 2018—a figure that represents a $521 million reduction from the 2017 budget. That reduction becomes even more painful when one considers that only 2 percent of transit agencies can cover their operating costs through fare collection alone, with an average revenue equaling just 39 percent. These reductions lead to an obvious conundrum where the need to market the agency and the improvements made to the overall experience falls down the priority list. Consider that while a recommended marketing budget for transportation-related markets in 2018 should fall between 10-12% of revenue, the public transit as an industry as a whole only allocates 8.5 percent (down from 11.2 percent in 2017). According to the Journal of Public Transportation, this percentage is largely buoyed by the 20 percent of large transit agencies in large metro markets with marketing budgets more than $500,000. Fully one-third of all transit agencies have annual marketing budgets less than $30,000; leading to a marketing budgets that hover closer to 2 percent of revenue. As if marketing budgets weren’t the only roadblock toward successful ridership engagement, staffing for the purpose adds another wrinkle into the equation. The responsibility of marketing often falls to multiple people, with 44 percent of agencies tasking multiple people within the agency with the responsibility. Only 20 percent of transit agencies have someone who serves in the role of marketing director, with only 35 percent of these individuals have a college degree in marketing. Furthering the complexity of the situation, 47 percent of transit agencies report that the person in this role only does so as a secondary responsibility. With these numbers in mind, it makes sense that a considerable number—36 percent—of transit agencies do not have a documented marketing plan. The lack of a written strategy combined with most individuals lacking education in marketing tactics, and multiple individuals charged with performing the function, it’s not hard to understand why agencies fail at adequately reaching its market with valuable, perception-changing information about the public transit experience. So, the answer is simple: increase the marketing budget, right? Sure, if the agency has the budgetary resources available. At that point, it’s only a matter of re-allocating funding to support a better mix of marketing efforts through strategic planning, staffing, and outreach tactics. Of course, that approach assumes the idea that funding marketing efforts was a budgetary oversight, and not the result of a lack of available funds. But the reality—as just about any one in a transit leadership role will tell you—is that the funds simply don’t exist; that any person who tells you to simply ‘spend more on marketing’ doesn’t understand the operational realities of running a public transit agency. They’ll tell you that they run with skeleton crews. They’ll tell you how hard it is to find qualified employees—much less retain them. They’ll share with you just how many hats each staff member must wear just to keep the vehicles running on time. They’ll tell you that the investments they’ve made had more to do with improving operational performance and simplifying daily responsibilities than improving customer relations. So, it’s not simply a budget issue. It’s a time issue, and there are too many responsibilities and too many fires to put out, to even think about marketing—and when they do, it’s a spot effort; an act of necessity to announce a new route or update schedules. Define a deliverable marketing strategy At this point, we understand why marketing is important, and why it is so difficult for public transit agencies to do so. Engaging with customers will always be critical to future growth and success, so simply NOT advertising isn’t an option, and at this point we all understand why that’s the case. What can be done, and what options exist? Before we dive into the tactics of marketing on a small budget, it’s important to define the strategy that drives your effort and provides a clear blueprint for how the organization approaches the communication of its value proposition to all stakeholders—both internal, such as administrator and staff; and external, such as the public and local leadership. In short, it will help make sure that everyone is on the same page. Your strategy should define: The goals you wish to achieve The message you wish to convey The timing and duration you will deploy The responsibilities of staff and stakeholders to achieve the stated goals The measurement criteria for how your efforts will be evaluated Your strategy isn’t going to define how much you spend on television or on printed schedules. It will set the tone and establish the desired message that is to be conveyed and guides the intent of all efforts that follow. Consistent messaging is critical at every touchpoint, which means that your entire staff needs to be well-versed in the role they play in promoting your agency to the public. A disconnect in any area can diminish gains made in another. For example. If your agency is promoting clean vehicles and stations, it becomes important that the operator is well-dressed and takes care in between stops to police the bus and stops for trash, and the garage staff makes sure the vehicles aren’t belching smoke due to poor maintenance. If your agency wishes to position itself as a family-friendly transit resource, then the staff should conduct itself appropriately, possess on-board safety features like as security cameras and vehicle tracking, and have special fare categories for school-aged children. If your agency is promoting quick rides and improved efficiency, then on-time performance is critical as are service notification to detours and delays. The point made here is that a marketing strategy isn’t limited to a media buy or clever logo or tagline; it’s not defined by a print at or television spot. The strategy is the packaging; the wrapper that guides how the performance of every contributing factor will be evaluated. As such, the entirety of your staff must be familiar with the messaging you’re trying to convey, and their individual role to support it. Having a defined strategy for the outcome and messaging is a critical factor in identifying realistic tactics and the resources needed to deliver. Only then can you have a chance to work within the available budget to identify what’s feasible and what’s not; don’t just shoot from the hip. Understand your audience First consider the low-cost, high impact tactics; those channels that are more likely to directly reach your audience. For example, ETA’s 2016 Transit Survey, revealed that 78.9 percent of transit users utilized the transit agency’s website or mobile app to view transit schedules versus just 10.5 percent who referenced printed schedules.  If you were weighing where to allocate limited funds, it sure seems like a better idea to emphasize promoting your website and mobile apps, than printing a costlier (and disposable) schedule. ETA’s 2017 Transit Survey revealed that Facebook (92.6%), Instagram and Twitter (48.2%) were the most popular social platforms, while others like Google+ (7.4%), Snapchat (14.8%), and Pinterest (18.5%) were on the lower end of the social media popularity spectrum. It would make sense to focus on the popular channels and not worry about less-used options. Understanding your audience and how they consume information are critical steps toward maximizing your limited funds and still delivering a compelling value proposition. NEXT WEEK: Part 2—Skinny budget tactics —— Works Cited Bierman, M. (2015, 9 5). Intelligent technology will change how we use mass transit. Retrieved from www.miamiherald.com: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article34127022.html Binet, L. (2009, February 2). Marketing in a Recession: 10 Things to Remember. Retrieved from www.adweek.com: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/marketing-recession-10-things-remember-98256/ Brady, S. (2017). What Percent of Revenue Do Publicly Traded Companies Spend on Marketing and Sales? Retrieved from www.vtldesign.com: https://vtldesign.com/digital-marketing/content-marketing-strategy/percent-of-revenue-spent-on-marketing-sales/ Federal Transit Administration. (2018). Budget – US Department of Transportation. Retrieved from cms.dot.gov: https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/…/budget/…/fy-2018-cj-budget-final52417.pdf Howard, M. R. (2018, 2 27). Yesterday’s Solutions for Florida’s Transportation Problems. Retrieved from www.floridatrend.com: http://www.floridatrend.com/article/24004/yesterdays-solutions-for-floridas-transportation-problems Joseph Cronin, J., & Roscoe Hightower, J. (2004). An Evaluation of the Role of Marketing in Public Transit Organizations. Journal of Public Transportation, 23-26, 32-34. Johnson, S. (2017, May 30). Transit Fares Only Partially Cover Public Transportation Costs. Retrieved from www.govtech.com: http://www.govtech.com/fs/Transit-Fares-Only-Partially-Cover-Public-Transportation-Costs.html Marketing Charts. (2013, 4 15). Bad Customer Service Interactions More Likely to be Shared Than Good Ones. Retrieved from www.marketingcharts.com: https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital-28628 Results. (2018, February). Retrieved from www.cmosurvey.org: https://cmosurvey.org/results/february-2018/ The Nielsen Company. (2012, 4 10). Global trust in advertising and brand messages. Retrieved from www.nielsen.com: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages.html Wikipedia. (2018, February 10). Farebox Recovery Ratio. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio#cite_note-:11-28  

How do you market public transit in a world where everyone defaults to driving? Our guest, Evan Henderson, has the answers. In this episode, we sit down with Evan to discuss battle-tested strategies from his time at Palm Tran, where he worked as Marketing Manager and later Senior Public Relations Manager, and his current role as Sr. Account Manager at Garth Solutions. From launching viral campaigns that reach millions to converting skeptical elected officials into transit champions, Evan reveals the unique challenges of marketing public transportation—and exactly how to overcome them. You’ll discover the inside story of Palm Tran’s “Let’s Get on the Bus Challenge” campaign that helped push ridership past pre-COVID levels, why consistency beats perfection in community outreach, and how to turn everyday riders into your most powerful advocates. Whether you’re a one-person marketing team or leading a larger effort, this episode delivers actionable strategies for building trust, changing perceptions, and getting butts in bus seats.

Autonomous vehicles are more of a novelty at this point, available in a few select areas. However, 52 percent anticipate that within 3-5 years, they’ll be in the market. That’s not a long time to develop, test, and procure solutions to satisfy the ancillary considerations related to self-driving vehicles.

Space Coast Area Transit achieved automated FTA-compliant ridership reporting, streamlining operations and unlocking new funding opportunities with Tally.

Every transit agency knows the drill. It’s 5:45 AM. Pull-out starts in fifteen minutes. A dispatcher is on the radio asking where Bus 412 is parked. A utility worker is walking the lot with a flashlight. Maintenance thinks it’s in the back row. Nobody’s sure.

The e-paper solution has emerged in the transit space as a happy medium between the old-school LED signs and the colorful, yet expensive HD LCD screens.

Binghamton University has partnered with ETA for over a decade to support its uniquely student-run transit system with CAD/AVL, automated passenger counters, and campus ID card integration.

We’re continuing our look at what local public transit agencies can do to market the technological investments they’ve made in their operations. If you haven’t done so yet, take a few minutes to Read part 1: Changing the perception about public transit to get some background information about the challenges public transit operations face when promoting their services. Part two deals with specific tactics that can be employed—even on the tightest of budgets. Skinny budget tactics Tactics, in support of a defined strategy, are the specific efforts used to perform on strategic objectives. This does require a set budget—both a comprehensive number, as well as specific allocations to each initiative. How you break down these numbers is largely due to the priority and expected impact of each within the overarching strategy. How are transit agencies marketing themselves? According to ETA’s 2016 transit agency survey: 1% of agencies use vehicle/station signage 6% of agencies use print advertising 6% of agencies use social media 8% use radio 4% use television 7% use billboards Except for vehicle/station signage and social media, these media channels are all high-dollar expenses and might not be the best use of limited resources for all situations—especially for those agencies with less than $30,000 in their marketing coffers. What other options are there? Social media Social media is an extremely cost-efficient way to interact with the public—both riders and non-riders. With so many available social media options, it’s important to know which ones are most likely to be used by your audience. This becomes especially important when considering the time involvement necessary to maintain a social media presence. Use it to conduct surveys and polls, communicate service disruptions, provide insights into community events, or even use it to engage followers with fun facts, trivia, memes, and other ‘sharable’ information that is likely to increase the perception of your agency within your market. Use paid placement to reach potential new customers within your service area. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have powerful—yet easy to use—demographic targeting capabilities that allow you to zero in on specific geographic, ethnographic, and economic considerations and reach precisely the type of individuals or groups who would be a good fit for public transit. What’s more is that these paid placement tools are extremely cost-effective, with $50-$100 easily placing your message on thousands of newsfeeds over a period of weeks. Leverage available space The no-brainer in marketing tactics is to utilize the open space on-board vehicles and at-stations to provide important marketing messaging. The good news is that 73.1 percent of agencies do this already, so the question is ‘what gives’ for the remaining 26.9 percent who aren’t using this space? It’s the lowest-hanging fruit in the marketing landscape and should be exploited to help target more people. As vehicles travel through town, a solid messaging campaign can bring awareness to passers-by on the streets and other vehicles on the roadways; new, untapped customers who may be searching for a way to simplify their transit needs for financial, lifestyle, convenience, or environmental reasons. Granted, 82.5 percent of agencies already use on-board space in a revenue-generating capacity, so perhaps the use of these opportunities is limited more by inventory availability that lack of desire to extend your marketing message. But… …you can extend your inventory by investing in on-board digital infotainment systems, something only 5 percent of agencies have embraced. It’s a relatively affordable expense to drastically increase your available inventory to advertisers by an order of magnitude, plus enhance your agency’s promotional efforts and brand value by mixing in specific, graphic- and video-rich promotions to run at set schedules. It’s not a bad idea, especially if you can leverage it as part of a technology procurement budget. Plus, 76.9 percent of riders want on-board infotainment systems according to our 2017 Transit Survey, so it’s a path to greater revenue, marketing reach, and improved ridership experience—sounds like a can’t-lose proposition. Marketing to existing customers Word-of-mouth (WOM) is a powerful (and free) means of getting the word out about new service improvements and ridership benefits. Take advantage of people who are already a fan of your agency and encourage them to spread the good word. In the Journal of Public Transportation article, An Evaluation of the Role of Marketing in Public Transit Organizations, word-of-mouth is the primary marketing option for a whopping 83 percent of agencies. WOM influences up to 50% of all purchasing decisions WOM generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising WOM influences every stage of a customer’s journey WOM can increase a market share by as much as 10% But… WOM is the most disruptive to consumer decisions WOM can vary wildly in its effectiveness There is a danger in only marketing to your current customers. It may be the easiest audience to reach, but you’re also at the mercy of their perception of you and your service. While referrals can be a powerful marketing tool (according to Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey a whopping 92 percent of people trust the recommendation of a friend), you also sacrifice control over the message and you can find yourself at the mercy of the mood and perception of a specific messenger. If that individual is unhappy with your service, then the message is 50 percent more likely to be shared than a positive interaction. This means you need sure that the message you’re sending aligns with what your service can deliver. Media partnerships and sponsorships Be sure to engage local media and provide them with press releases and information about new services, improvements, detours, and special interest stories about your employees and riders. Local media is almost always starved for content—especially feature pieces—and can easily turn your news tip into an article or video clip in their pages, on their nightly broadcast, or on their websites. These opportunities provide a valuable means of getting the word out to the community and help to introduce your services to potential customers who may not have given public transit a second look. A savvy marketing person may even be able to leverage a news feature in trade for on-vehicle promotion for a local event or initiative that is sponsored by/close to the heart of the media outlet. This quid-pro-quo arrangement can further enhance the perceived standing of your agency within the community and result in both corporate and non-profit engagement down the road, as civic-minded entities look to partner with other area resources. Time is a resource As a final consideration, be sure to include the valuable resource of ‘time’ when choosing which tactic to implement. Labor-intensive projects—such as newsletters—can take dozens of man hours spread across the entirety of your organization to produce. These costs are often not considered when determining budget, and while ‘hidden’ from the balance sheet, the impacts of these efforts do extend to the other functions of your operations as people must dedicate time from core functions to write articles, print, fold, and address mailings, etc. Weigh the use and involvement of internal personnel carefully when determining if a tactic is worthwhile. Look for marketing solutions that can be ‘scheduled’ over extended periods or whose time expense require an up-front effort. For example: Instead of making social media posts or sending emails every day, use a management tool like Hootsuite or MailChimp so schedule all posts for the month (or quarter, or year). A couple of hours spent to draft and schedule all efforts is going to pay off in the long run as it’s easier to set aside a few hours once a month on a given day, than it is to find half an hour every day to draft a post. If you have your strategy and timeline mapped out, this should be a very easy, and straightforward production process. Plus, both options have free plans that lets you manage up a certain number of channels or contacts at no cost—for the budget-sensitive agency, that’s an effortless way to stretch the bottom line. Develop any print or direct mail campaigns at once. Not only can you provide the files in advance to media outlets and mail houses up-front, you can schedule specific drops to coincide with your strategic timeline. Plus, printing these efforts at once (called a ‘gang-run’) can significantly reduce your printing expense. Be mindful of the hidden resources required for any marketing effort and include those as part of your budget. The time of your staff and key stakeholders may not always show up on your balance sheet, but they can impact your operations in a way that undermines the very message and value you wish to communicate as a benefit. Final word Both quantitatively and anecdotally we understand that there are certain perceptions that surround public transit that aren’t entirely positive. As an industry, we can either accept these broad generalizations and choose to live with them, or we can opt to change the discussion and work to provide a different narrative which highlights the importance of public transit. The heavy lifting is being done by organizations like APTA on a national level, and that’s good for policy and the funding of grants and infrastructure project. But what is also needed is engagement on the local level, and in an era where agencies are struggling simply to keep their operations running, the marketing and budgets required to encourage greater use and advocacy is incredibly scarce. Transit agencies are continuing a trend of investing in modern technologies to improve the quality of their service. It is critical that the benefits of these investments are communicated communities they serve. These efforts become increasingly important in changing the dialog and perceptions surrounding public transit and its related experience—especially if gains in ridership or growth in service area are required. Despite low levels of funding, transit agencies aren’t without a voice in determining when and how to engage with their communities and riders. While an influx of funding in support of marketing efforts isn’t likely to be forthcoming, an agency doesn’t have to take a passive role in advocating for its existence and benefit to its passengers. There are low-cost, high-impact solutions available that—with a bit of foresight and planning—can be of immense value to the idea that public transit isn’t necessarily like the cliched ideas that seem to keep its reputation stuck in the past. —— Works Cited Bierman, M. (2015, 9 5). Intelligent technology will change how we use mass transit. Retrieved from www.miamiherald.com: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article34127022.html Binet, L. (2009, February 2). Marketing in a Recession: 10 Things to Remember. Retrieved from www.adweek.com: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/marketing-recession-10-things-remember-98256/ Brady, S. (2017). What Percent of Revenue Do Publicly Traded Companies Spend on Marketing and Sales? Retrieved from www.vtldesign.com: https://vtldesign.com/digital-marketing/content-marketing-strategy/percent-of-revenue-spent-on-marketing-sales/ Federal Transit Administration. (2018). Budget – US Department of Transportation. Retrieved from cms.dot.gov: https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/…/budget/…/fy-2018-cj-budget-final52417.pdf Howard, M. R. (2018, 2 27). Yesterday’s Solutions for Florida’s Transportation Problems. Retrieved from www.floridatrend.com: http://www.floridatrend.com/article/24004/yesterdays-solutions-for-floridas-transportation-problems Joseph Cronin, J., & Roscoe Hightower, J. (2004). An Evaluation of the Role of Marketing in Public Transit Organizations. Journal of Public Transportation, 23-26, 32-34. Johnson, S. (2017, May 30). Transit Fares Only Partially Cover Public Transportation Costs. Retrieved from www.govtech.com: http://www.govtech.com/fs/Transit-Fares-Only-Partially-Cover-Public-Transportation-Costs.html Marketing Charts. (2013, 4 15). Bad Customer Service Interactions More Likely to be Shared Than Good Ones. Retrieved from www.marketingcharts.com: https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital-28628 Results. (2018, February). Retrieved from www.cmosurvey.org: https://cmosurvey.org/results/february-2018/ The Nielsen Company. (2012, 4 10). Global trust in advertising and brand messages. Retrieved from www.nielsen.com: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages.html Wikipedia. (2018, February 10). Farebox Recovery Ratio. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio#cite_note-:11-28

Boca Raton, FL. April 16, 2026. Mountain Line, Missoula’s public transit system, has selected ETAs to replace its legacy CAD/AVL solution with ETA’s cloud based Intelligent Transportation System platform. The deployment will equip all 30 fixed-route buses with a fully integrated suite, including CAD/AVL, Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), Automatic Passenger Counting (APC), Onboard Announcements (OBA/AVA), passenger infotainment screens, and Digital Pre-Trip Inspection (DVIR), giving operators a complete view of fleet operations while improving the rider experience across Missoula

Boca Raton, FL. August 15, 2025. At Binghamton University in upstate New York, a student-run bus system is delivering professional-grade transit service to thousands of students every day and it’s all made possible by a longtime partner, ETAs.

What’s also not a secret is that Millennials (and their younger Gen Z counterparts) are among the fastest-growing adopters of transit and the first generation not to view vehicle ownership as a status symbol. However, like car ownership is driven by the latest bells and whistles, public transit will be pushed by these younger generations who are used to having the latest technology and are comfortable with always being ‘connected’ to whatever they need, whenever they want it.

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO and General Manager of Broward County Transit. Coree shares how Broward is building on its bus network through TransitFORWARD 2040 and PREMO, the county’s long-term effort to create a more connected, multimodal transit system. The conversation explores Broward County’s plans for bus rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, high-frequency bus service, and stronger connections between the airport, seaport, convention center, and surrounding communities. Coree also discusses community engagement, listening sessions, program delivery, eliminating transit deserts, and BCT’s role in supporting regional travel during the World Cup.

As universities gear up for the fall semester, we revisit episode from April featuring Levi McCollum and Christian Londono’s conversation with Shelley Strimaitis, Planning and Special Projects Manager at Bloomington Transit. Shelley shares her journey from experiencing Singapore’s transit system to leading innovative projects in a vibrant university town. Shelley provides her insights on the transformative power of live vehicle tracking and how Bloomington Transit is using microtransit to fill service gaps while prioritizing fixed-route services. Discover how thoughtful transit planning is reshaping public transportation for university communities.

After years of declining ridership, service cuts, and aging infrastructure, Cincinnati Metro found itself in a classic “death spiral.” But thanks to bold leadership, a game-changing public vote, and a relentless focus on the rider experience, the agency has staged an inspiring turnaround. In this episode of Stop Requested, hosts Levi McCollum and Christian Londono sit down with Steve Anderson, Senior Director of Development and Innovation at SORTA, to unpack the story behind this remarkable comeback. Steve shares his personal journey—from sketching imaginary cities as a kid to leading transformative transit projects in Cincinnati and beyond. Discover how Metro overcame decades of underinvestment, leveraged new funding, and launched ambitious initiatives like Metro Rapid, a cutting-edge Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system designed for speed, comfort, and local character. Hear how the agency is rethinking station design, collaborating with neighborhoods, and making data-driven decisions to deliver a rider-first experience. Learn how Cincinnati Metro is building a future-focused transit system that’s reshaping mobility and revitalizing the city for the next generation.

Don’t overlook the “employee factor” when adopting new technology. See if this sounds familiar. You and a select group of co-workers have spent time researching, interviewing, and demoing a new technology or process to be implemented at your company. You’re certain that you have been thorough in your efforts. The solution checks every box and satisfies every need. It’s expensive, but the ROI is worth it. You sign the paperwork, establish a schedule, and when the day comes to flip the switch, your staff greets the new system with a collective shrug. Undeterred, you’re confident that once your employees will see the benefits and welcome this change into their work lives. Only that doesn’t happen. Months into deployment, the new technology isn’t being used as intended. The system isn’t generating the expected benefits. The staff are actively developing workarounds, or worse yet, trying to get the new system to perform like the old system. Tempers are flaring. Upper management is demanding answers. Did you buy a lemon? Or did you forget to include your staff in the procurement process? Did you forget to build anticipation and educate how this new system would improve their job satisfaction, make their lives easier, or address lingering performance issues? According to our annual survey to transit agencies, 80 percent of transit operations experience resistance from their staff or customers when adopting new technology or practices. When polled further, about this resistance, transit agencies believed that the quality of the vendor-provided training materials (56%) played a factor in poor adoption, and the inclusion of cheat sheets and user guides (42%) and options for supplemental training (38%) would be helpful in changing employee perceptions. While a well-trained staff can be important in wringing the best performance out of new technology investments, it’s not the only variable. In truth, there are three critical areas of technology adoption that must be addressed: The requirements of the technology (which problems will it solve) Generating excitement among riders (get transit customers excited about the change) Generating excitement among employees Transit agencies excel in the first two areas. In fact, our customers routinely ask us for marketing materials and strategies to engage with their riders and let them know what’s coming. When we include internal marketing materials for their staff, it’s a common response to hear “hmmm, I didn’t think about marketing to our employees. What a great idea.” The assumption, as we see it, is that whatever change is decided upon by leadership is that it will be readily embraced by employees. After all, change is coming, and they have little-to-no say in the matter. If they want a job, they’ll use the tools provided. The assumption is that employees understand what doesn’t work well, so any initiative that solves those concerns will be embraced. Except that’s not reality, and truth be told, your staff has their own ideas on how to solve challenges—which by default creates obstacles and roadblocks that need to be overcome. In our view, pre-marketing the change to staff is every bit as important as the quality of training and resources. Why? Because pre-marketing helps build anticipation by extolling more intimate benefits to the staff. It includes them in the conversation. It extolls more intimate benefits, provides ways of seeking more information, and begins that emotional transition from what is to what will be. Change is intimidating. We can’t just plop a new system or service in the laps of our employees and expect that they will be excited about it and embrace it without question. Take steps to bring your staff along in the process. Provide updates, answer questions, listen to concerns and feedback. If they feel involved, they will be more likely to embrace this new solution willingly rather than begrudgingly. And when the staff is onboard, that’s when meaningful change can really take off.