The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently announced the individual and organizational winners of the 2017 APTA Awards at this year’s APTA Annual Meeting and Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
Each award was given to individuals and public transportation organizations that demonstrate great leadership and advanced the state of public transportation in North America.
APTA’s Innovation Award was given to the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) of Atlanta. In February 2015, SRTA launched a pilot program aimed at enticing commuters to try public transit by awarding travelers toll credits to those who used Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Xpress routes instead of driving on the city’s congested roadways.
At the end of the program, 80 percent of the participants who signed up for the six-month Ride Transit pilot earned toll credits totaling approximately $9,000, resulting in an estimated reduction of up to 4,500 trips on Atlanta-area roads.
Knoxville Area Transit was awarded APTA’s Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for organizations servicing 4 million passengers or fewer for their extensive efforts in increasing service, improving safety and efficiency, and developing new outreach partnerships, including one that allowed the organization to save up to $70,000 per vehicle through a statewide maintenance bus alliance.
The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) of Albany, New York, received APTA’s Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for organizations that service between 4 million and 20 million annual passengers for their efforts in developing its Innovation Platform, which helped reduce operating costs and sharpen the organization’s image in its community.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada received APTA’s Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for organizations that service more than 20 million passengers annually for its top-to-bottom modernization plan that integrated a network of bus, streetcar, light rail, para trans and subways.
TTC’s plan also included new vehicles, a new fare payment system, new streetcar maintenance and storage facilities, and a secondary subway platform at Union Station.
APTA also recognized six individuals for their efforts in advancing public transportation throughout their communities, including Robert Prince, who received the Hall of Fame Award; Regional Transportation Authority Board Chairman Kirk W. Dillard and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, each of whom received the Local Distinguished Award; and Beaver County, Pennsylvania Transit Authority Board Chairman Robert Ober, who received the Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member Award.
Additional individual awards were given to Motor Coach Industries’ executive vice president of sales and marketing Patrick Sully, who received the Outstanding Public Transportation Business Member Award, and Metrolink CEO Art Leahy, who received the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award.