HAMPTON ROADS — Hampton Roads Transit recently announced that it has won several awards for excellence in public relations, community involvement, innovative service and industry leadership.
Pinnacle Awards
HRT noted it won the most awards of any organization at the annual Pinnacle Awards presented recently by the Hampton Roads chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, recognizing the region’s best public relations programs and tactics.
The agency’s Marketing and Strategic Communications team earned four excellence and five merit awards across multiple categories, including media relations, video, community relations, branding and social media.
Excellence Awards were presented for:
- Best community relations campaign, in partnership with the City of Norfolk and the Norfolk Tides, to encourage baseball fans to take transit to ballgames
- Best content marketing to promote OnDemand Ridesharing
- Best website for goCommute, the region’s commuter options program
- Best Video for HRT’s 25th anniversary
HRT also received Merit Awards for:
- Digital Platform: Going Places podcast
- Media Relations: Take Transit to the Tides
- Shoestring Budget Campaign: HRT’s online system map
- Reputation/Brand Management: Rebrand of TRAFFIX to goCommute
- Social Media: Bike Month
Bike Month Recognized
HRT’s Bike Month, organized by goCommute, received the award for Best Community Event from the regional chapter of the Association for Commuter Transportation. As part of its mission to promote alternative ways to commute to work, including by bicycle, HRT said goCommute participated and led several events in May to engage the community in sustainable transportation.
Transit Leader and OnDemand Ridesharing Win Awards
HRT’s Chief Planning and Development Officer, Ray Amoruso, received the Honorable Ray LaHood award from the WTS Hampton Roads Chapter. According to HRT, the award recognizes Amoruso’s long-time transit leadership, outstanding contributions to the transportation industry, and support of women and minorities through programs or opportunities. The annual award honors a “man of the year” who has been key to advancing the WTS mission to attract, retain, and advance women in transportation.
WTS also awarded HRT’s OnDemand Ridesharing service with the Innovative Transportation Solutions Award. The award recognizes key elements of a project, transportation initiative, solution or policy led by a female project manager, HRT explained. OnDemand is led by Amy Braziel, HRT’s Director of Contracted Services and Operational Analytics.