Wave N Ride the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Trolley.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- In a world filled with social media pages, posts, #hashtags and tweets, one Ft. Lauderdale-based nonprofit is breaking the mold and exuding excellence. Fort Lauderdale's Sun Trolley, operated by the Downtown Ft. Lauderdale Transportation Management Association, received two special awards at the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) statewide conference in Clearwater, Florida on October 29, 2013.
"We are honored to receive 2nd place awards in two categories: Social Media and Electronic Media/Audio Visual," states Patricia Zeiler, Sun Trolley's Executive Director. "Being on the cutting edge of digital media has not only helped the Sun Trolley grow its ridership, which averages approximately 40,000 passengers per month, but it has allowed us to communicate more efficiently with our passengers as well as increase corporate sponsorships and partnerships."
Sun Trolley's ever-popular Facebook page has become a fan favorite for both residents and tourists alike approaching nearly 2,500 Likes. "Our page is popular because it really serves as one-stop shop for messaging," states Zeiler. "We make an effort to post about local events, restaurant openings, transportation trends and we use the page to announce route changes, delays and fare adjustments – it really has become the go-to resource for our passengers."
Additionally, the Sun Trolley also took home the second place award in the Audio Visual category for a video that promotes the Sun Trolley and its leadership. "Our winning video was developed as part of a national campaign called "Women in Transportation," states Laurie Menekou, Sun Trolley's media spokeswomen. "It highlights the executive leadership of Patricia Zeiler who has not only led the Sun Trolley to success but has been an unwavering advocate for public transportation in Broward County and the State of Florida."
In addition to the two awards presented at the FPTA statewide conference last month, the Sun Trolley is also very popular on Trip Advisor currently ranking as Ft. Lauderdale's second most popular tourist destination. The Sun Trolley's success doesn't stop there, the Sun Trolley has also won numerous awards and gained national media attention for the ever-popular Tracker App: the Tracker App has exceeded 10,000 downloads in the past year alone.
To download the mobile app, printable route maps or to learn more visit http://www.suntrolley.com or call (954) 761-3543. Like what Sun Trolley is doing? Show it at facebook.com/sun-trolley.
ABOUT TMA (Transportation Management Association)
Serving Fort Lauderdale's residents and visitors since 1993, the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (TMA) manages the Sun Trolley and administers the community bus service of the City of Fort Lauderdale. In addition to managing five routes, TMA oversees a carpooling service with incentives for employees who elect to carpool, connects Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods to Broward County Transit and TriRail, and coordinates employee transit programs in local businesses. For more info visit www.suntrolley.com.
