Topeka Metro wins Innovation award from Kansas Public Transit Association

The Kansas Public Transit Association (KPTA) annually honors member transit agencies with an Innovation Award for originality in its operations and the services it provides. At the August KPTA 2021 annual meeting, Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority (Topeka Metro) was given an Innovation Award for its clever use of developing a transit operator recruitment video.

Executive director of KPTA, R.E. "Tuck" Duncan, stated that the video features three Topeka Metro bus operators sharing their experience working at Topeka Metro. "Recruitment of drivers is a nationwide top industry priority and this video is a novel way in reaching out to recruits."

Topeka Metro General Manager Bob Nugent nominated the video for the award. "The purpose of the video was to create an informative, honest and fun approach to spotlight what our bus operators do day-in and day-out." Nugent said that the agency has been looking for the right candidates to operate city buses. "We have a lot of longevity here and having testimony from our own employees is a good reflection of how important their jobs are," Nugent said.

Keri Renner, director of marketing and communications at Topeka Metro, produced the video in-house. The video can be viewed on Topeka Metro's website at topekametro.org as well as on Topeka Metro's YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn social media sites.