2019 NEBRASKA PUBLIC TRANSIT WEEK EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

photo of transit managers with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts after he signed the 2019 Nebraska Public Transit Week proclamation

Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring April 7-13 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.

2019 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:

Visit 50% of 5311 funded transit agencies.
Increase the number of participating agencies.

During NPTW (April 7-13):

41 agencies participated throughout the state.
Advance team members visited 39 agencies.
10 agencies ordered promotional items specific to their services.

Achieving both its goals in 2019, Nebraska Public Transit Week is positioned to go further in 2020.

View photos from events around the state.

Purpose:

The fifth annual Nebraska Public Transit Week sought to increase transit agency participation in promotional celebrations of their work and importance to Nebraska, and have the team visit more transit agencies during the week. Nebraska Public Transit Week provided a week long event for all Nebraska transit agencies to reach out to their community and educate them about their services, organize celebrations of transit and the community, and give back to their employees and passengers. The planning committee’s efforts to promote Nebraska Public Transit Week focused on 5311 funded agencies, or rural transit providers. As of April 7, 2019, Nebraska had 58 rural and seven urban transit providers and seven intercity bus routes.

Participation:

Agencies hosted a variety of events during Nebraska Public Transit Week including:

Advertisement or Article in Local Newspaper
Art or Coloring Contest
Backpack Day
Buy One Get One Free Buddy Days
City Proclamation
Open Houses
Passenger Appreciation Days
Presentations to Elementary Classes Radio Station Promotion
Spot the Bus
Stuff the Bus
Trivia or Crossword Day
Veterans Day

Agency Events and Activities

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

BLUE RIVERS AREA AGENCY ON AGING
Auburn Office
- Monday – All passengers ride for half price.
- Wednesday – All passengers ride for half price.
- Thursday – Open House: From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. come in and see what we have to offer.
- Friday – Passenger Appreciation Day: New passengers ride for free. Free cookies.
Beatrice Office
- Tuesday and Wednesday – Passenger Appreciation Days: Free round trip per person.
- Thursday – Open House: From 1-4 p.m. stop in and get cookies and refreshments and free rides to the Open House.
- Friday – Driven to Give event in coordination with Beatrice Ford Lincoln. 4 p.m. drawing for a $20 bus card.
- All Week:
- Stuff the Bus.
- Activities for the back pack program (please bring in snacks for kids).
- All riders will be eligible for a drawing for prizes.
- Spot The Bus: Take a picture of one of the buses in town and contact the office to see what happens!
Fairbury Office
- Tuesday – Coffee and doughnuts available all day at the transit office.
Nebraska City Office
- Stuff the Bus for the Food Pantry (Nebraska City students).
- Spot the Bus (for the public to participate).
- Art Contest: High school students from Nebraska City Public and Lourdes Central Catholic and middle school students from Nebraska City Public participating. The public votes for their favorite to determine the winner.
- Open House (all week).
- Donation Box at Fare-way and vote for your favorite Blue Rivers employee in Nebraska City.
- Raffle.
- Passenger appreciation all week with giveaways!
Syracuse Office
- Monday – Buddy Day: Two people ride for the price of one.
- Tuesday – Ride to lunch at the Syracuse Senior Center. Drawing for a nutrition ticket.
- Wednesday – All riders receive a free gift.
- Thursday – Ride four days and the fifth day is free.
- Friday – Open House: From 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. stop in for drawings, giveaways, and a treat!
Wymore Office
- Wednesday – Coffee and doughnuts for all riders available at the dining facility located at 815 D Street (The Legion Club).
CEDAR COUNTY TRANSIT
All Week
- Bring a friend along for free.
- $1 off your ride with a donation to the food pantry.
- Handing out treats and pens to passengers.
CHASE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
- Advertisement in the local newspaper and door prizes for passengers.
CITY OF CHADRON HANDI BUS
- Proclaiming Public Transportation Week at the City Council meeting on April 1, 2019.
- Newspaper article in the Chadron Record.
- Promotion on the local radio station during community focused programs.
- Pens will be distributed to passengers during the week.
- Wednesday – Driver Appreciation Lunch
CITY OF NELIGH DIAL-A-RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday – Passenger Appreciation Day: We thank our passengers for their patronage.
- Tuesday – Backpack Day: Pre-school to 2nd Grade students coloring book activity.
- Wednesday – Stuff the Bus: Bring 1 item for the Antelope County Food Pantry and ride for FREE!
- Thursday – Trivia Thursday: Test your public transit trivia.
- Friday – Driver Appreciation Day: We appreciate and thank our public transit drivers.
CITY OF SCHUYLER HANDI BUS
- Monday – Crossword Day: Enjoy and return the custom transit crossword for a free treat.
- Tuesday – Buddy Day: Bring a friend with you; two for the price of one.
- Wednesday – Appreciation Day: Receive a free donut for riding the bus.
- Thursday – Veterans Day: Veterans ride free.
- Friday – Gift Day: Receive a gift from Nebraska Public Transit when you ride the bus.
CITY OF TECUMSEH/JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday – Preschool Coloring Contest: St. Johns, St. Andrews and JCC-Cook and Tecumseh - Stop in at city hall all week and help judge the coloring contest. Two winners will be chosen on Friday.
- Tuesday – Spot the Bus: If you see the bus around town, take a picture with your phone. Send the picture to the bus phone, 402-335-7329, or email it with your name and contact number to lmcclintock@tecumsehne.com. Winners will be drawn from entries for gift cards or tickets. Everyone in Tecumseh is encouraged to participate. Winners will be chosen on Friday.
- Wednesday – Free round trip ride within city limits (one stop only).
- Thursday – Business Contest Winner Announced: Businesses are given a questionnaire to test their knowledge about our bus service. Winners with the most correct answers will be drawn from entries for a chance to win donuts or a pizza party (answers are on flyers around town or on www.tecumsehne.com).
- Friday – Bucks for Backpacks: All grades at JCC (preschool through 12th grade at Tecumseh and Cook locations) and St. Andrews school (they will compete as one) will be collecting money April 1-12 for the Johnson County Backpack Program. The winning grade level or St. Andrews that collects the most money will get a pizza party at the school.
CRANE PUBLIC TRANSIT (FORMERLY HALL COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION)
- Saturday, April 6 – “Gear Up for Transit Week” office outing to Fonner Park for any employee who wants to attend.
- In anticipation of Public Transit Week, we will be handing out free ride tickets to riders to be used during Public Transit Week.
- All Week – Stuff the Bus: Voice for Companion Animals and the Humane Society
- Monday – Public Awareness Day: We will be speaking at the Grand Generation Center and playing a trivia game, as well as visiting various organizations and businesses around town to explain how transit can benefit them.
- Tuesday – Driver and Office Appreciation Day: Free lunch and a gift will be provided for all drivers and office personnel.
- Wednesday – Passenger Appreciation Day: All passengers will be offered their choice of one of a variety of gifts.
- Thursday – Selfie with the “CRANE”: Any passenger who (safely) takes a picture of themselves either while riding one of the Crane Public Transit buses or with the bus itself (and submits it by e-mail or with contest slip available on each bus) will be entered into a random drawing for a $20 punch card (worth 10 free rides). Drawing will be held Friday, April 12. Alternate entry method will be available from the drivers.
- Friday – Drawing Day: We will draw for the $20 punch card. Winner will be notified by phone. We will also deliver the “Stuff the Bus” items to Voice for Companion Animals and the Humane Society.
CRAWFORD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Monday – The 10th boarder receives a free ride.
- Tuesday – Customer Appreciation Day: Giving out special goodies.
- Wednesday – The cost of rides is a canned good to be donated to the local food pantry.
- Thursday – Refer a new rider and receive a prize.
- Friday – Staff Appreciation Day: All riders can enter to win a $10 bus pass.
EASTERN NEBRASKA OFFICE ON AGING
- Friday, April 5 – Driver Luncheon.
All Week
- Veterans will ride free.
- Drivers will distribute snacks and pens.
KIMBALL COUNTY TRANSIT SERVICES
- Tuesday – Open House in Deuel County from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Chappell Senior Citizens building, 245 Matlock Avenue. Lunch will be provided.
- A presentation to elementary classes in Banner, Potter, Chappell, and Big Springs.
- All riders for the week will be entered in a drawing for several gift baskets.
- Kids coloring contest.
- Daily Trivia.
- Employee Appreciation.
NANCE TRANS
All Week
- Special reduced rates for clients.
- Stuff the Bus for our local food pantry and the mission in Columbus.
Wednesday
- Meal for the community with gifts for the drivers for driver appreciation with entertainment by Ben Gasper out of Genoa (one man band).
OAKLAND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
- Trivia games with staff about transit. Prizes are pens.
OMAHA METRO
All Week
- Metro will offer free fares for short periods of time from Monday through Friday on all routes. Radio dispatch will notify Bus and MOBY operators when to start and end the free fare promotion. Please see the bulletin for more information.
- Staff will distribute free bus tickets at transit centers throughout the week.
Wednesday
- Any passenger who rides their bike to their bus stop will ride for free.
PONCA EXPRESS
- Friday - Passenger Appreciation
RYDE TRANSIT
- Employee Appreciation: Recognizing the work of the transit employees.
SAUNDERS COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Monday – Staff Appreciation Day.
- Tuesday – Half Price Rides (Trip to Lincoln): All passengers will pay half the regular fare amount. Giveaways will be handed out to each passenger.
- Wednesday – Public Awareness Day: Calendars and brochures will be distributed to inform the public of our services.
- Thursday – Half Price Rides (Trip to Fremont): All riders will pay half the regular fare amount. Giveaways will be handed out to each passenger.
- Friday – Passenger Appreciation/Free Rides (Wahoo Only): Passengers will be able to ride free. Giveaways will be handed out to each passenger.
SEWARD COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Monday – Milford Senior Center: Afternoon program, cookies, and ice cream with door prizes and giveaways.
- Tuesday – Employee Appreciation: Afternoon snack for employees and drivers.
- Wednesday – Utica Senior Center: Afternoon program, cookies, and ice cream with door prizes and giveaways.
- Thursday – Concordia University: Cookies and ice cream sundaes with door prizes and giveaways.
- Friday – Seward Senior Center: Afternoon program, cookies, and ice cream with door prizes and giveaways.
TRI VALLEY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- Employee Appreciation: Reception for staff with cookies.
- Passenger Appreciation: All passengers riding during the week will be signed up for a drawing for a punch card of five free rides.
- Placing an announcement in the local newspaper with education about transit.
WAYNE PUBLIC TRANSIT
- Handing out pens to passengers and giving a talk to the senior center lunch crowd about transit.