2023 NEBRASKA PUBLIC TRANSIT WEEK EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Governor Pillen signed a proclamation declaring April 9-15, 2023 as Nebraska Public Transit Week. Show your support for a service that helps thousands of Nebraskans stay mobile and access critical services like education, employment, and medical care.

2023 Nebraska Public Transit Week Highlights

Summary:

Nebraska Public Transit Week celebrates public transit throughout the state. The week helps transit providers engage with their community through traditional media, social media, public events, and word of mouth.

Goals:

50% or 27 agencies participate in NPTW (measured by number of agencies submitting their events/activities list).
25% or 14 agencies have a presence on website or Facebook (measured by agencies posting a flyer advertising their list of events/activities on their website or sharing a Nebraska Public Transit Facebook post and adding text of their own).

During NPTW (April 9-15):

20 agencies participated in NPTW. This is equal to 37% of the 5311 rural transit agencies in Nebraska.
14 agencies had a presence on website or Facebook.

Photo Contest

Thank you to all of the transit agencies that submitted a photo for the contest. The 2023 winner is Crawford Public Transportation!

For their prize, they chose to have their vehicles detailed. Watch the video below to see the before and after photos of their vehicles.

Below is the final vote for each of the photos in the contest.

2023 Nebraska Public Transit Week photo contest results

Below are all of the entry photos.

Midland Public Transit

Midland Public Transit
As Nebraskans, we love our open spaces, majestic vistas, and room to breathe, which shouldn't come at a cost. Midland Public Transit recognizes the rural population and strives to serve these members of the community. Service is provided in Clay, Howard, Merrick, Nuckolls, and Webster Counties.
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Blue Rivers Transportation System
Bobbi Lechner, a driver in Nebraska City, made this transportation quilt out of T-shirts from the cities she has visited while competing in state and national public transit driver roadeo competitions. It measures 86.5" x 114".

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Garden County Public Transportation

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Valley County Health System

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Crawford Public Transportation

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North Platte Public Transit System

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City of Sidney Transportation System
Manager Kasey Kantor's son may be looking at a future as a rural public transit driver.

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View photos from events around the state.

Agency Events and Activities

Click on a header to view each agency's events and/or activities.

ALLIANCE PUBLIC TRANSIT
- All Week — Goody bags handed out, one per rider.
- Monday — Buy one ride get one free.
- Wednesday — Employee appreciation lunch for the drivers and dispatchers.
- Friday — Buy one ride get one free.
BLUE RIVERS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Auburn Office
- All Week — Guess how many M&M’s are in the jar. Closest guess wins a 10-punch card. Drawing held Friday.
- Monday: New Passengers Day — All new passengers ride free.
- Tuesday: Wee Ones Appreciation Day — Coloring books and goody bags handed out to children.
- Wednesday: Driver Appreciation Day — Make sure to thank your driver.
- Thursday: Goody Day — Come visit us in our office and pick up some goodies.
- Friday: Passenger Appreciation Day — All passengers ride for half price.
Beatrice Office
- All Week — Daily drawings and Grand Prize drawing for $60 bus ticket.
- Monday: Free Ride Day — Free one way ride to all passengers.
- Tuesday: Driver/Dispatcher Appreciation Day
- Wednesday: Passenger Appreciation Day — Goody bags handed out to all passengers.
- Thursday: Food Drive — One way free ride with nonperishable, non-expired food product to be donated to the Beatrice Food Pantry.
- Friday: Stuff the Bus — Stuff the Bus for the Beatrice Food Pantry.
Fairbury Office
- Monday — Half price rides.
- Tuesday: Goody bags handed out.
- Wednesday: Food Drive Day — Bring a non-perishable food item in for a free ride.
- Thursday: Bring a Friend Day — Buy one ride get one ride free.
- Friday — Drawing a name for prize giveaway.
Nebraska City Office
- All Week — Everyone who rides during Nebraska Public Transit Week will be entered into a drawing for a $60 Ride Ticket. Pre-School Coloring Contest and Business Game.
- Monday — Bus bingo.
- Tuesday — Veterans ride for free today.
- Wednesday: Luck of the draw - passengers pick a bag of goodies.
- Thursday: Dump the Pump Day — All passengers ride for free today.
- Friday: Stuff the Bus — Bus will be parked at Walmart from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. for you to donate items for the Nebraska City Food Pantry.
Syracuse Office
- Monday — All passengers ride free.
- Tuesday — Veterans ride free.
- Wednesday — Sweet treats handed out to passengers
- Thursday — All passengers entered into a drawing.
- Friday — All new passengers ride free.
Wymore Office
- All Week — Goody bags with cookies handed out to passengers. Everyone who rides is entered into a prize drawing on Friday.
CEDAR COUNTY TRANSIT
- All Week — Ride and bring a friend along for free. Receive a token of appreciation. Every ride qualifies you for a chance to win a $10 ride certificate.
- Tuesday — 10:30 A.M. transit talk with Q&A and building tour.
- Thursday — 10:30 A.M. transit talk with Q&A and building tour.
CHADRON CITY TRANSIT
- All Week — It's 70s hippy week on the Chadron City Transit! Enter drawing to win a one of five free city transit pass. Must be a rider on the bus to enter the drawing. Drawing will be held Friday at 3 P.M.
- Monday — Ride free with canned food donation to support the food pantry.
- Tuesday — Driver Appreciation Day and wear your fun and bright hippy attire on the bus.
- Wednesday — Everyone rides free on the "Uber" City Transit.
- Thursday — Ride free with canned food donation to support the food pantry.
- Friday — Open house with hamburgers served 11 A.M.-1 P.M. - 127 W 2nd Street Suite 101, Chadron, NE 69337.
CITY OF NELIGH DIAL-A-RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday: Public Transit Awareness — Staff will be visiting with local businesses and sharing table tents promoting and advertising our transit agency.
- Tuesday: Passenger Appreciation — Riders will be presented tokens of appreciation.
- Wednesday: Find the Bus — The public will have to look in local businesses for a squishy bus, return it to the office for a drawing for $25 Chamber Bucks.
- Thursday: I Rode the Bus Day — Riders will receive an “I Rode the Bus” sticker and a bus cookie.
- Friday: Driver Appreciation — Drivers will be rewarded with tokens of appreciation and celebratory food.
CITY OF SIDNEY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
- All Week — Buy one get one half off scan passes. (Scan passes are regularly $15.) Goody bags will be handed out to riders. Driver Appreciation Day. Free rides sponsored by SRMC.
CITY OF TECUMSEH/JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSIT
- All Week: Passenger Appreciation — Handing out pop sockets for phones, lanyards, and reusable bags to passengers.
- Monday: Buddy Day — Bring a buddy on the Lincoln trip and get half price rides. Please call in advance to schedule your trip.
- Tuesday: Tasty Tuesday — Handing out sweet treats to our passengers from Adeline’s Bakery.
- Wednesday: Winner Wednesday — Everyone is a winner – free ride day (one free round-trip ride within city limits).
- Thursday: Take Out Thursday — One lucky person will win a gift certificate to T-Town Restaurant & Spirits. Facebook contest and all passengers that ride Monday-Wednesday will be entered.
- Friday: NPTW — Celebrating our 9th year of Nebraska Public Transit Week. The 9th person to ride the bus wins a free 10-punch ticket.
CRAWFORD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- All Week — Each time you ride, your name goes in the pot for a FREE $10 boarding pass. Coloring contest for kids. Prize given for several events!
- Monday — Veteran’s ride for free.
- Tuesday — Wear a crazy hat ride for free.
- Wednesday — Spot the bus, take a picture, post to your Facebook page and tag Cindy.
- Thursday — Donate a food item for your ride.
- Friday — Coloring contest and boarding pass drawing, Customer Appreciation Day, and Driver Appreciation Day.
GARDEN COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Monday: Motivational Monday and Driver Appreciation — Customers receive inspirational quotes and a treat. Drivers will receive a gift.
- Tuesday: Fun with Passengers — Adults, find the monkey take a selfie. School kids, find the monkey.
- Wednesday: Games with Passengers — Adults, crossword, word find, and BINGO. School kids, coloring page.
- Thursday: Customer Appreciation — Adults, Free in-county rides. School kids, small tokens/gifts.
- Friday: Raffle and Promo Giveaway — Customers that ride will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win donated gift cards/certificates or donated items from different local venues and we will hand out promo items.
KCTS
- Monday — Driver Appreciation Day
- Tuesday — Spot the Bus
- Wednesday — Funny Hat Day
- Friday — Husker Day
All participants will be entered into a daily drawing to win KCTS prizes.
MIDLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday: Customer Appreciation Day — Give out special goodies.
- Tuesday: Dump the Pump — Ride for free today.
- Wednesday: It's Cool to Ride Public Transit — Any passenger that wears sunglasses will get a free ride.
- Thursday: Spot the Bus — Take a picture of one of the buses in town and post on our Facebook page to win.
- Friday: Employee Appreciation Day
NORTH PLATTE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM
- Pick up a BINGO or crossword puzzle from any driver and once completed turn them into any driver by Thursday to be entered into a drawing to win a prize.
- Sunday — Submit a selfie or scenery photo to our Facebook Page.
- Monday: Team Spirit — Wear your favorite team shirt.
- Tuesday: Patriotic Day — Wear your red, white, and blue.
- Wednesday: Where’s Waldo — Find Waldo on the bus and snap a picture with him and post it on our Facebook page.
- Thursday: Tye Dye Day
- Friday: Crazy Hat Day
- Saturday: Crazy Sock Day
OMAHA METRO
- All Week — System-wide, free fare periods - twice daily, for an hour at a time. Giveaways at all four transit centers.
- Employee and Rider Appreciation Days
- Bike & Ride Day
- #SpotTheBus Contest
PHELPS COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSIT
- All Week — Free rides to senior center when coming for lunch.
- All Week — Drivers will be handing out goody bags to riders.
- All Week — All first time riders will get first round trip ride for free.
- All Week — Show your appreciation to your driver by giving them a thank you note.
- All Week — Drawing for a free bus ticket worth $20. If you are one of the lucky number riders your name will be entered into the drawing. Every lucky number will be repeated all day. Example is if we have 50 riders on Monday (50 divided by 6) then 8 names will be entered into the drawing.
- Monday Lucky Number: 6
- Tuesday Lucky Number: 14
- Wednesday Lucky Number: 11
- Thursday Lucky Number: 9
- Friday Lucky Number: 7
RICHARDSON COUNTY TRANSIT
- All Week — Drawings for transit passes and handing out giveaways.
RYDE TRANSIT
- All Week — Recognition of RYDE Transit employees and the work transit employees do each day.
- All Week — Facebook posts regarding information about public transit.
SAUNDERS COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Monday: Public Awareness Day — Information regarding our services will be distributed to various places in the county to continue to bring awareness of our services to the public.
- Tuesday: Half Price Rides (Trip to Lincoln) — All passengers will pay half the regular fare amount.
- Wednesday: Staff Appreciation Day
- Thursday: Half Price Rides (Trip to Fremont) — All passengers will pay half the regular fare amount.
- Friday: Passenger Appreciation/Free Rides (Wahoo Only) — All passengers will ride for free.
SCHUYLER PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday: Punch Card — Ride four days and get the fifth day (Friday) FREE.
- Tuesday: NEW Passengers — New passengers get half price ride.
- Wednesday: Motivational Wednesday — Riders get a motivational phrase.
- Thursday: Passenger Appreciation Day — Receive a gift from Schuyler Public Transit.
- Friday: The 9th Person — The 9th person to ride the bus, gets a $9 gift pass.
TRI VALLEY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- All Week — Veterans ride free and all passengers receive a free gift.
- Monday — Scavenger hunt at hospital for staff.
- Tuesday — Two passengers ride for the price of one.
- Wednesday — Donate a canned good and ride free up to 26 miles.
- Thursday — Donate a canned good and ride free up to 26 miles.
- Friday — Donuts for all staff.
TRI-CITY ROADRUNNER
- Monday: Passenger appreciation — Giveaway freebies handed out to passengers.
- Tuesday: Veterans Appreciation — Veterans ride for free.
- Wednesday: Buddy Day — Two riders for the price of one or pay one way If alone.
- Thursday — Driver\Staff Appreciation
- Friday — Selfie Day
VALLEY COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM
- All Week: Spot the Van — Magnets will be put on the vans and a Facebook post will let people know to take a picture of the vans and post to their Facebook page whenever they see them driving around town.
- All Week: Giveaway — Anyone that rides will be entered into a drawing for a punch card to be used on future rides.
- All Week: Coloring Page — Coloring pages will be handed out the week prior and will be on display the week of Nebraska Public Transit Week
- Tuesday: Radio Segment — Agency will be featured on Party Line Part II, a radio talk show.
- Thursday: Agency will have a spot on the hospital weekly Health Report.
- Thursday: Open House — From 2:30-3:30 P.M. visit for a tour of the vans and enjoy some cookies.