Photo Contest

National RTAP Photo Contest

NEWS AND EVENTS

2026 Photo Contest: How We Ride

Our National RTAP 2026 Photo Contest – How We Ride – is all about your riders. We are looking for photos of all the different places riders travel to and how they enjoy going along for the ride. Perhaps your riders board their bikes for that last mile, travel with their skis to hit the slopes, or enjoy chatting with their friends on their way back from town. Maybe they ride with their service animal or enjoy a comfortable trip secured in their mobility device.

For inspiration, we're sharing some of our previous Photo Contest entries that focus on how people ride the bus.

First Prize: $400, Second Prize: $200, Third Prize: $100.

Judging Criteria

The photos will be judged by a team on the following criteria:

Photo quality
Artistic design
Originality
Creative depiction of this year’s theme: How We Ride

Submission Process

Each transit agency that enters may send up to 3 photos to info@nationalrtap.org by August 21, 2026
Photos must be in .jpeg format
Label each photo as: Photgrapher’sName_TransitAgency
Photos must be accompanied by a photo release form. Any people depicted in the photos must sign the photo release form.

Winners receive cash awards and plaques, and all entries also receive certificates. All entries will be showcased on our social media platforms and displayed at one or more upcoming conferences.

Photo Release Form

National RTAP offers one-stop shopping for rural and tribal transit technical assistance products and services. Call, email, or chat with us and if we can’t help with your request, we’ll connect you with someone who can!

" National RTAP offers one-stop shopping for rural and tribal transit technical assistance products and services. Call, email, or chat with us and if we can’t help with your request, we’ll connect you with someone who can! "

Robin Phillips, Executive Director
" You go above and beyond and I wanted to let you know that I appreciate it so much and always enjoy my time with you. The presentations give me so much to bring back to my agency and my subrecipients. "

Amy Rast, Public Transit Coordinator Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans)
" I always used the CASE (Copy And Steal Everything) method to develop training materials until I discovered RTAP. They give it to you for free. Use it! "

John Filippone, former National RTAP Review Board Chair
" National RTAP provides an essential service to rural and small transit agencies. The products are provided at no cost and help agencies maximize their resources and ensure that their employees are trained in all aspects of passenger service. "

Dan Harrigan, Former National RTAP Review Board Chair
" We were able to deploy online trip planning for Glasgow Transit in less than
90 days using GTFS Builder. Trip planning information displays in a riders'
native language, which supports gencies in travel training and meeting Title VI
mandates. "

Tyler Graham, Regional Transportation Planner Barren River Area Development District
Slide title

" Having a tool like GTFS Builder is really light years ahead of what it used to be at one time in terms of how fast you can put everything together. Our university students really can't imagine transit without it, so I think it's very important for us in terms of attracting that particular demographic. "

Michael Lachman, Transportation Services Manager HAPCAP - Athens Transit
Slide title

" In the past we used proprietary database software that was very challenging, very murky, and hard to update. GTFS Builder is a great opportunity to make this more user-friendly, more readily updatable and it
would enable us to show how to create a GTFS to more of the staff. "

Jaime McKay, Former Manager of Direct Services Center for Mobility Equity
Slide title

" Collaboration is a buzz word these days in the industry. On behalf of our Tribal segment, I appreciate RTAP for making Tribes a partner in industry opportunities. The organization goes over and beyond reaching partners one would not expect in a busy industry such as public transportation. Thank you for your tireless efforts! "

Franklin Akoneto, Comanche Nation
Slide title

"We are so very thankful for all your transportation training materials. Your resources are as valuable as gold!"

Holly Walton, Transportation Assistant Manager, Curative Connections

A program of the Federal Transit Administration administered by the Neponset Valley TMA

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