The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) in Dayton, OH, has introduced a new form of advertising to its vehicles. Video has joined interior and exterior signage and audio ads.

GDRTA premiered the video ads on board shuttles traveling among the U.S. Air Force Museum and University of Dayton Arena and the annual Dayton Air Show, which provided 3,800 passenger trips. During the trip, riders were exposed to messages about services and products from leading companies in the area and the transit agency itself.

The agency is working with Commuter Advertising to institute the video advertising program in its fleet of new fixed route buses.

“The advertising revenue is a small fraction of our total budget,” said Mark Donaghy, RTA executive director. “However, it helps us to create incremental, non-farebox revenue, which is increasingly playing an important role in funding transit improvements….In addition to providing a venue for advertising, video advertising creates a new channel for RTA to communicate with its customers.”

GDRTA sees onboard video as a medium that gives businesses an opportunity to reach new markets while helping the agency increase its revenues, which in turn will help support service to customers.

"In addition to providing a venue for advertising, video advertising creates a new channel for RTA to communicate with its customers,” Donaghy added.