Research Triangle Park, N.C. – The Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) has won six Marketing and Communications awards from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The AdWheel Awards for Marketing and Communications excellence were presented Monday at APTA’s Annual Conference in San Jose, California.  

“TTA’s recognition is unprecedented,” said TTA Interim General Manager David King.    “It’s gratifying to have been honored with six First Place Awards and to be selected for two APTA Grand Awards by national marketing professionals.  I’m proud of our staffers and their creativity in promoting transportation alternatives in the Triangle.”

TTA won First Place and a Grand Award for an informational video on traffic, congestion and driver attitudes from a survey in Spring 2006. The survey, conducted by OnPoint, found 94% of those questioned believe traffic congestion will get worse in the next 5-10 years and 70% believe the region should develop a variety of transit options including regional rail.  

The agency also won First Place and a Grand Award for the 2005 SmartCommute Challenge which saw 12,000 people in Durham, Orange and Wake counties pledge to    use an alternative way to work one day during the Challenge’s campaign. Organizers   with TTA in the SmartCommute Challenge are SmartCommute@rtp and Triangle Tomorrow.

The 2006 Challenge broke last year’s record with 12,700 participants. TTA’s ridership is up 16% this year, had a record breaking August and has more vanpools on the road than in 2005.  King said, “I expect that this excellence in marketing and communications has had a direct impact on our record setting year.”

First place awards were also presented for the Redefine Travel campaign targeted at college and university students, informational materials on the planned Regional Rail System, and for TTA’s internal newsletter for employees.

TTA is a regional public service provider, offering a wide variety of transit and vanpool services to North Carolina's greater Triangle Region and outlying counties.  Bus service is available to Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Hillsborough, RDU International Airport, Research Triangle Park and Raleigh.  The Triangle Transit Authority also provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the on-line resource for public transportation in the Triangle.

TTA is the implementation agency responsible for carrying out a regional plan to build a rail transit system with stations connecting Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh, with shuttles linking RDU International Airport and Research Triangle Park. For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.