At the 2025 LPTA/SWTA Summer Conference in New Orleans in late July, SWTA presented its 36th Annual Spotlight Awards, which are among the oldest awards recognizing marketing campaigns and projects in the public transportation industry, first awarded in 1990.

This year, SWTA presented the following 22 awards to 13 agencies & entities:

• Cottonwood Area Transit – Hit the Spot Award – Print, Rural Systems
• North Central Regional Transit District – Hit the Spot Award – Event, Rural Systems
• Open Plains Transit (SWTA Professional Member) – Hit the Spot Award – Electronic, Rural Systems
• East Texas Council of Governments – Hit the Spot Award – Social Media, Rural Systems
• CARTS – Spotlight Campaign, Rural Systems
• Rio Metro Transit District – Hit the Spot Award – Social Media, Print, Electronic Media & Events, and Spotlight Campaign – Small Urban Systems
• Connect Transit (SWTA Professional Member) – Hit the Spot Award, Electronic – Medium-Sized Urban Systems
• Corpus Christi RTA – Hit the Spot Awards for Social, Print & Events – Medium-Sized Urban Systems
• Mountain Line (Flagstaff) – Spotlight Campaign – Medium-Sized Urban Systems
• SunTran – Hit the Spot Awards for Print, Electronic, Social & Event and Spotlight Campaign – Medium-Sized Urban Systems
• Colorado DOT – Hit the Spot Award, Social Media & Spotlight Campaign – State DOTs
• And our first ever Business-Member Award – Transit Unplugged TV for their Spotlight Campaign featuring SunTran

SWTA Chair Kendra McGeady said in presenting the awards, "An essential part of that work are marketing and communications campaigns that convey important details and updates about our transit services and share our messages in new and creative ways. That’s why SWTA presents our annual Spotlight Awards to systems of all sizes, to recognize the hard work and innovative ideas of their marketing teams."

Congratulations to all the winners!