Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) received three First Place awards from The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in the first round of the 2022 AdWheel Awards.
The AdWheel Awards go to APTA member systems for outstanding marketing and communications efforts that contributed to strategic organizational goals. The JTA competed in the Group 2 category, against similar peer systems with annual ridership between 4 million and 20 million passengers in 2019. Nearly 300 entries were evaluated and selected by industry experts.
The JTA received First Place in the following categories:
For the “Best Electronic Media on COVID-19” category, JTA’s award-winning television show JTA Making Moves was honored for providing the community and industry colleagues with insight into the JTA’s commitment to providing transportation services while maintaining a safe environment for its employees and customers. JTA Making Moves is a monthly educational program airing monthly on WJXT TV-4 and on the official JTA YouTube page.
The JTA’s communications and marketing efforts for the Authority’s “Wellness on Wheels” initiative was recognized in the “Best Comprehensive Campaign on COVID-19” category. Wellness on Wheels is a multipronged partnership with Agape Family Health Center to provide greater access to COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. The JTA converted four retired 40-foot buses and a paratransit vehicle into mobile COVID-19 clinics to assist Agape Family Health Center. Promotions for this campaign included bus wraps, retrofitted buses, brochures, multimedia segments, and social media posts. By providing vaccines for over 12,000 people, the campaign garnered national attention.
Finally, the Jobs for Jax initiative was awarded a First Place prize in the “Best Marketing and Communications to Highlight Transit Needs and Funding Category.” This work highlights the JTA’s partnership with the City of Jacksonville to extend and expand Duval County’s Local Option Gas Tax to fund more than $1 billion in new infrastructure funding. Jacksonville City Council members voted to 2021 to approve legislation adopting the changes.
The top First Place winners in all categories will compete for the Grand Prize Awards, which will be presented at APTA’s TRANSform Conference in Seattle in October 2022.
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About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is an independent state agency serving Jacksonville, Florida and Northeast Florida with multi-modal responsibilities. The JTA provides varied mass public transit services, and is a builder of roads, bridges and other infrastructure to enhance mobility in Jacksonville. Public transportation services include BRT and regular bus service, paratransit, the St. Johns River Ferry, Skyway APM, and other mobility and on-demand services in Duval, Clay, Baker, Nassau and St. Johns counties. To learn more, visit www.jtafla.com.