APTA celebrates 2025 AdWheel award winners

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) honored outstanding transit industry initiatives in marketing, communication and customer experience at the AdWheel Awards hosted at the annual TRANSform conference APTA Honors Luncheon in Boston.

The AdWheel program honors APTA member systems and business members whose efforts push forward organizational goals and awareness of best practices in the sector.
A total of 335 entries were considered this year, which were assessed by hundreds of industry experts. Fifteen winners received the Grand Awards that were selected across three categories:

• Workforce Development
• Increasing Ridership or Sales
• Educational Initiatives

“Marketing, communications and customer experience are essential to achieving our mission in public transportation—connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, shopping and wherever community members want to go” said APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas. “We’re proud to highlight these exemplary efforts that not only elevate ridership and strengthen passenger engagement but also foster innovation and workforce development across the transit industry.”

Awards by catagory

Best Marketing & Communications on Workforce Development Grand Award winners:

• San Joaquin RTD, Stockton, Calif. – Operator recruitment (fewer than three million annual passenger trips)
• Community Transit, Everett, Wash. – Advertising to recruit mechanics (three–15 million trips)
• CapMetro, Austin, Texas – CapMetro recruiting (15–50 million trips)
• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta, Ga. – Celebrating LGBTQ employees (over 50 million trips)
• RATP Dev, Fort Worth, Texas – Veteran recruiting campaign (business member)

Best Marketing & Communications to Increase Ridership or Sales:

• Valley Regional Transit, Meridian, Ind.– “Let’s Ride, BOI” (fewer than three million trips)
• RTC of Washoe County, Reno, Nev. – “Get on Board” (three–15 million trips)
• Sound Transit, Seattle, Wash. – Light Rail Expansion campaign (15–50 million trips)
• Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto – “Swift Moves” (over 50 million trips)
• Transit App, Montreal, QC – Riders Choice Awards (business member)

Best Marketing & Communications Educational Initiative:

• Mountain Line, Flagstaff, Ariz. – Passing of Prop 488 (fewer than three million trips)
• Santa Cruz METRO, Santa Cruz, Calif. – One Ride at a Time campaign (three–15 million trips)
• CapMetro, Austin, Texas – McKalla Station launch (15–50 million trips)
• WMATA, Washington, D.C. – Better Bus Network redesign (over 50 million trips)
• Transit App – Campaign to get voters to the polls (business member)