On Tuesday, six public transportation providers from five states were named the 2023 Bus Safety, Security, and Emergency Management Award winners by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
The awards highlighted the achievements of the organizations from Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas for their innovative and proactive security programs. According to APTA, a new category was added this year to honor agencies that incorporated partnerships, planning exercises, and drills into their management of emergencies.
“Every day, our industry works closely together to provide transportation to all Americans. A major part of that effort is addressing security and safety advancements and sharing best practices with systems across the country,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said. “I want to congratulate the public transit agencies being honored for their safety and security contributions to the industry. Their work will guide the continued growth and advancement of public transit, making it safer for their passengers, employees, and communities nationwide.”
Awards were determined based on bus ridership, as well as effectiveness, benefit level, innovation, and transferability. Top honors, the Gold Awards (for more than 4 million and fewer than 20 million passenger trips annually), went to Pace Suburban Bus (Pace), Arlington Heights, Ill., for Bus Safety; New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit), Newark, N.J., for Bus Security; and Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro), Austin, Texas for Emergency Management.
Certificates of Merit (for fewer than 4 million passenger trips annually) were awarded to METRO Regional Transport Authority (Metro RTA), Akron, Ohio, for Bus Safety; Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA), Corpus Christi, Texas, and METRO Regional Transport Authority (Metro RTA), Akron, Ohio, for Bus Security; and Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA), Corpus Christi, Texas and Miami-Dade Transit, Miami, Fla., for Emergency Management.