Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) has created a comprehensive statewide campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of transit for all Floridians.
FPTA, the state’s public transit trade group, will use a multipronged, multimedia effort to get the word out across the state.
“Our key message is ‘connection,’” said Karen Deigl, FPTA’s Chair and CEO/President of Senior Resource Association in Vero Beach. “Transit connects people to so many things that are important in their lives, including family, fun, health, commerce, and adventure. Our goal is to help people discover how public transportation can expand their mobility options and improve their lives.”
At the center of the campaign is a new website that will enable residents to “Find Your Ride” through a transit system matching tool. The website allows users to enter their county, which will return contact information for their local transit systems, including for bus, train and paratransit services.
A multimedia advertising campaign targeting FPTA’s 40 member markets across the state will help raise awareness for the website and its features. The ads will run on billboards, radio, digital streaming and social media, promoting the various destinations to which transit connects and driving people to the website.
“Transit is good for Florida,” Deigl said. “Our public transportation systems increase mobility for residents and visitors, and transit creates a 5-to-1 economic return on investment for our communities.”
The advertising campaign is tentatively slated to run through the Spring, but the website will be a permanent addition to the Florida transit toolkit.
FPTA represents more than 40 urban and rural transit systems, including commuter railroads, heavy-rail commuter systems and people mover systems. The services it represents provide more than 155 million trips annually. As one of the nation’s most active state transit associations, FPTA plays a key role in advocating for and supporting public transportation across Florida.
