Team TARTA Captures Two AdWheel Awards

TARTA's Communications, External Relations and Customer Experience team was honored with two First Place awards in the AdWheel Competition, conducted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which draws more than 300 entries each year. 

APTA’s AdWheel awards are designed to recognize outstanding advertising and education initiatives conducted by public transit agencies nationwide. TARTA’s team was recognized for its work on:

• Rosa Parks Day (Best Educational Initiative, Comprehensive Campaign category)
• Experience TARTA: Drive The Bus event (Best Workforce Development Initiative, Special Event category

In early 2025, Toledo area artist Mercé Culp created a mural paying tribute to Rosa Parks for TARTA’s Transit Hub as part of a collaboration between TARTA and The Arts Commission. The design from that mural was converted into a bus wrap which continues to roll on TARTA fixed routes.

TARTA’s educational initiative that year also included teaming with the Toledo NAACP and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library to share the life and legacy of Rosa Parks at a family story time session.

The Experience TARTA: Drive The Bus event involved a creative ad and social media campaign in advance of a hiring event. TARTA’s Human Resources team welcomed job candidates to Central Avenue, where they could fill out an application, speak to a member of the Human Resources team, and test-drive a bus on TARTA’s lot. Initiatives such as this paved the way for six operator graduations over the course of 2025, and TARTA plans to repeat the event this year.

TARTA’s Communications, External Relations and Customer Service team includes: 

• Chief Communications and Customer Experience Officer Sam Melden
• Customer Experience Manager Jessica Rood
• Mobility Manager Brandon Waites
• Transit Outreach and Education Coordinator Richard Russell
• Community Affairs Manager Kwinlyn Tyler
• Communication and Marketing Manager Andy Cole
• Marketing and Communications Coordinator Amaia Ham

APTA’s AdWheel Awards were conferred Feb. 24 during APTA’s Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Workshop in Savannah, Georgia. Both of TARTA’s first place entries are now eligible for the Grand Award, which will be recognized during APTA’s TRANSform Conference and Expo in Chicago this October.