MENU
SEARCHFrom OK TOURS and Peter Pan to Innovative Solutions and Women in Transportation, we highlight our award winners who defined 2025.
METRO Magazine’s 2025 award winners were recognized for leadership, innovation, and lasting impact across the motorcoach and public transit industry.
Photo: METRO
This year, we saw standout operators and groundbreaking agency-supplier partnerships. METRO’s 2025 awards recognized the people and programs pushing public transportation and motorcoach forward.
As we look back on 2025, these honorees tell the story of an industry evolving fast, and the new Frank Di Giacomo Leadership Award will carry that momentum into 2026.
Here’s a look at our award winners from the year:
OK TOURS' innovative approach to social media marketing has resulted in the company building an organic following across multiple platforms.
Photo: OK TOURS!!!
In February, San Antonio–based OK TOURS was named METRO Magazine’s 2025 Innovative Motorcoach Operator of the Year at ABA Marketplace in Philadelphia, recognized for its leadership in safety, customer experience, and creative marketing.
The company stood out for its strong digital engagement, modern fleet, and advanced safety technology, earning national recognition for a team-driven approach to innovation.
Peter Pan has been able to keep itself fresh over its 90-plus years by leveraging technology to enhance the passenger experience.
Photo: Peter Pan Bus Lines
In late February, Peter Pan Bus Lines was named METRO’s Motorcoach Operator of the Year at the UMA Expo for its decades-long commitment to reliability, innovation, and customer service, paired with a strong fourth-generation, family-owned culture.
The company stood out for leveraging technology to modernize the passenger experience, expanding service through strategic partnerships, and investing in workforce growth while maintaining uninterrupted operations through industry challenges.
In partnership with Connectpoint, TriMet has launched one of the country’s most ambitious deployments of solar-powered ePaper digital signage, bringing real-time information to stops and stations that were once out of reach.
Photo: Connectpoint/TriMet
We announced the winners of the 2025 Innovative Solutions Awards in August, recognizing bus and rail agencies and supplier partners for initiatives that improved efficiency, safety, mobility, and customer experience. Now in its 11th year, the awards highlight forward-thinking projects that replaced outdated systems and delivered measurable operational and service improvements across North America.
Our 2025 Women in Transportation spotlight leaders driving impact across public transit and motorcoach mobility, from rural innovation to executive leadership.
Photo: METRO
Toward the end of the year, we revealed our Women in Transportation who are reshaping the future of transportation and redefining what leadership looks like in an industry long dominated by men.
From Julie Chalmer’s strategic approach to building stronger, more efficient motorcoach operations, to Barbara Cline’s unwavering focus on rural mobility and accessible service for all, to MJ Mayned-Carey’s transformative leadership guiding one of the nation’s most dynamic transit agencies, each of these women exemplifies excellence and purpose.
Julie Chalmers’ Path from Family Legacy to Leadership Success
How Barbara Cline Built One of South Dakota’s Most Vital Transit Systems
MJ Maynard Talks Advocacy, Mentorship, and the Future of Transit
At our Public Transit & Technology Exchange (PTTX) in Scottsdale, Arizona, we announced the launch of a new award to honor long-time METRO and School Bus Fleet Publisher Frank Di Giacomo. The award will be named the Frank Di Giacomo Leadership Award, and will recognize an individual whose vision, dedication, and leadership have made a lasting impact on the public transit industry.
Honorees will embody the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and service that Di Giacomo championed throughout his career, elevating buses as essential connectors in communities across North America.
Look for more information soon.
In Part 1, Blandon shares his journey from the U.S. Marines to a leadership role in public transit, along with insights on mentorship and professional growth within the industry.
Read More →
The revamped Buyer’s Guide will reach METRO’s audience of more than 17,000 print and digital subscribers, providing suppliers with year-round visibility in front of transit agency leaders, motorcoach operators, and industry decision-makers across North America.
Read More →
Funded through the 2025 Investment Plan, the new R2 Marine–Willingdon RapidBus is expected to begin service in September, more than three months ahead of schedule.
Read More →
In addition to new projects, progress continues on a multiyear effort to upgrade track, electrical, and signal systems on the Metra Electric Line to accommodate the expansion of service on the South Shore Line.
Read More →
Behind every sold-out game is a transit playbook built on data, partnerships, and precision timing to move thousands of fans. Here’s how agencies make it work.
Read More →
The Maryland Transit Administration is advancing the nearly $1.4 billion Light Rail Modernization Program, which modernizes the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line from Hunt Valley to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with new, low-floor vehicles and upgrades to all light rail stations, systems, and maintenance facilities.
Read More →
Created with local artist Dante Lewis, the new “On the Move” audio identity aims to unify messaging and deepen the rider experience across agency platforms.
Read More →
Essential strategies to strengthen your business before entering a private equity transaction.
Read More →
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board recently met for a budget workshop, during which staff outlined the significant service reductions Caltrain could be forced to make without new external funding.
Read More →
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at Alstom, VIA Metropolitan Transit, Transdev US, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
Read More →
