Artwork Title: Connecting Community
Artist: Kevin Tafoya, Assistant Manager
Transit Agency: Cherokee Transit, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, North Carolina
Media: Digital Media
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Photo Contest
National RTAP Photo Contest
NEWS AND EVENTS
2025 Photo Contest: Wrap It Up
Our National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest – Wrap It Up – is all about how you beautify your bus. We are looking for photos of visually appealing bus wraps, graphics, and decorations, including holiday embellishments. For those who enjoyed our 2024 Art of Transit Photo Contest, artistic creations are welcome. Your photo should embrace the theme - "No more boring buses!"
For inspiration, we're showing a winning entry from our 2023 Photo Contest, photographed by Marlen Davis of Ketchikan Transit.
Awards will be paid to the photographer: First Prize: $400, Second Prize: $200, Third Prize: $100. Winners also will receive plaques, and all entries will also receive certificates. Entries will be showcased on our social media and displayed at one or more upcoming conferences.
Each transit agency may submit up to 3 photos to info@nationalrtap.org by August 22, 2025. All photos must be accompanied by a Photo Release Form.
Judging Criteria
- Photo quality
- Artistic design
- Originality
- Creative depiction of this year’s theme: Wrap It Up
NEWS AND EVENTS
2024 Photo Contest: The Art of Transit
Our National RTAP 2024 Photo Contest – The Art of Transit – celebrates the creative side of transit. We asked transit agency staff and riders to draw, paint, sculpt, quilt, weave, make a collage, or create an artistic digital image that depicts rural or tribal transit and includes an original artistic image of a bus, bus stop, driver, and/or riders. This was still a photo contest; the final submissions were photos of the artwork - our winners are shown below.
Awards were paid to the artist: First Prize: $400, Second Prize: $200, Third Prize: $100. Winners also received plaques, and all entries also received certificates. Entries will be showcased on our social media and displayed at one or more upcoming conferences. Congratulations to the winners and all the talented artists who entered the contest!
Judging Criteria
- Photo quality
- Artistic design
- Originality
- Creative depiction of this year’s theme: The Art of Transit
First Place
Second Place
Artwork Title: BATA Bus 40
Artist: Kristine Madsen, Mobility Manager
Transit Agency: Brookings Area Transit Authority (BATA), Brookings, South Dakota
Media: Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Third Place
Artwork Title: I Love Brazos Transit District
Artist: Sonya Tijerina, Human Resources
Transit Agency: Brazos Transit District (BTD), Bryan, TX
Media: Painting
Honorable Mention
Artwork Title: Bus 66
Artist: John Lobser, Bus Driver
Transit Agency: Steamboat Springs Transit, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Media: Painting
Honorable Mention
Artwork Title: Sweet Rides and Cookeville Pride
Artist: Jacklyn Medley, Mobility Manager
Transit Agency: Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA), Cookville, Tennessee
Media: Procreate Digital Illustration
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!
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Robin Phillips, Executive Director-
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Amy Rast, Public Transit Coordinator Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) -
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John Filippone, former National RTAP Review Board Chair -
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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
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