METRO Announces 2025 Innovative Solutions Award Winners
This year’s award winners helped improve efficiency by replacing outdated systems, create better mobility options for passengers, and much more.
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
METRO Magazine is announcing the winners of its 2025 Innovative Solutions Award, which will be featured online, beginning August 11 and every Monday and Wednesday in August, as well as in the Fall 2025 issue.
Now in its 11th year, the Innovative Solutions Awards honors bus and rail operations and their supplier partners who have implemented initiatives that helped them save money, run more efficiently, streamline operations, increase safety, improve customer satisfaction, increase ridership, and much more.
For CCJPA, adopting Xentrans' TrainManager is both a culmination of years of operational insight and a bold step into the digital age of rail management.
Photo: CCJPA/Xentrans
And the Winners are…
This year’s award winners helped improve efficiency by replacing outdated systems, create better mobility options for passengers, and more.
This year’s winners are:
Vancouver, Canada’s TransLink/Giro – Operational Efficiency
Washington State’s Everett Transit/Complete Coach Works – Sustainability
Portland, Oregon’s TriMet/Connectpoint – Technology
Various Agencies/Sportworks – Mobility
Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority (MetroLink Tulsa)/Philadelphia’s SEPTA/RideCo – Paratransit
Ohio’s Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority/ETA Transit – Operational Efficiency
California’s Auburn Transit/Texas’ Gulf Coast Transit District/Spare – Technology/On-Demand Transportation
Oakland, California’s Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority/Xentrans – Rail
Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority/AlphaRoute - Paratransit
METRO’s staff would like to thank everyone who applied. Congratulations again go to all our winners, and don’t forget to tune in online and in print to find out more about their stories. Our winners will also be honored at PTTX, which will be held in September in Scottsdale, Arizona.
More Technology
Biz Briefs: Masabi Partners with LANTA and More
In this edition, we spotlight the latest developments shaping the future of mobility.
Read More →
Joshua Schank on Transportation Innovation, Risk, and the Future of Mobility
In this edition of METROspectives, Joshua Schank discusses lessons from launching LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the challenges of advancing new mobility technologies, and much more.
Read More →
Reinventing Fleet Maintenance with Real-time Visibility and AI
Transit leaders need to know what needs fixing, where to look, who is responsible, when work is completed, and what it costs without having to chase information across disconnected systems.
Read More →
Alstom Acquires Delaware Site to Support Amtrak NextGen Acela Fleet
The company is investing more than $55 million to acquire and improve the property and will employ approximately 100 people at this site once it is operational.
Read More →
ABA's Ferguson Testifies in Support of BUS Act, National Standards for Bus Operators
The BUSES Act would create a nationwide framework preventing state and local governments from enforcing bus idling restrictions of less than 15 minutes, a threshold consistent with existing Environmental Protection Agency guidance.
Read More →
When Routine Fails: How Public Transit Must Adapt for the World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will test transit agencies’ ability to manage unpredictable travel patterns, making real-time data and operational flexibility critical to moving millions of visitors efficiently.
Read More →
California Selects Team for Nation’s First True High-Speed Rail Track and Systems Contract
The board action follows completion of track installation at the 150-acre southern railhead in Kern County, which will serve as the staging and distribution hub for high-speed track and systems installation.
Read More →
IndyGo, Cleveland RTA Expand Digital Fare Payment Options with Masabi
The new systems combine mobile apps, smart cards, and automatic fare capping to simplify payments, expand flexibility, and help riders access the lowest available fares.
Read More →
LA Metro Launches New Mobile App, Contactless Payment Options
Available on Metro and at 26 TAP-participating transit agencies, the system reduces waiting times, speeds boarding, and improves convenience systemwide, said the agency.
Read More →
Joshua Schank on Transportation Innovation, Risk, and the Future of Mobility
In this edition of METROspectives, the co-author of New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies, discusses lessons from launching LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the challenges of advancing new mobility technologies, and much more.
Read More →