Davis, Calif.’s VertX Advertising Inc. launched its exclusive Cleaner Transit Initiative in California. Transit systems in this program are able to provide cleaner conditions for their passengers and have a new source of revenue to help combat declining ridership.

In studies, the most important factors cited by transit riders were service frequency, crowding reliability, safety, and cleanliness. Testing transit fleets for pathogens has shown many surfaces to be covered in germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Rothia, and other bacteria and viruses, all of which are known to potentially cause disease and can be effectively treated by VertX’s antimicrobial products.

The Cleaner Transit Initiative collaborates with public transit agencies to install pathogen-reducing standing passenger handles, along with protective vinyls for seats and stanchion bars, at no cost to the transit agency. VertX accomplishes this by managing an interactive, built-in space on the handles for a supporting advertiser and combining it with a revenue-sharing program with the transit agencies so they can further improve their facilities. VertX handles are easily installed as a replacement to current strap handles, or as an addition to standard bus/subway handrails to seamlessly retrofit into all transit system fleets as a long term, low maintenance solution.

 Additionally, all VertX products are also EPA-exempt and FDA-approved for safety, avoiding the use of any chemicals and sanitizing agents that could be harmful to transit riders. Programs performed in the ASUCD Unitrans and Sacramento Regional Transit bus fleets, showed the products reduced bacterial presence by up to five times of that compared to normal standing passenger handles after a six-month time period. Furthermore, their launch in the San Luis Obispo Transit fleet further expanded their cleaner transit services and features its first advertising campaign with a local McDonald’s franchise.