Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has received a $10,000 Transit Safety Pledge Grant from Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) to develop a safety campaign for The Tide, its light rail service in Norfolk, Va.
Launching in 2025, the campaign will promote OLI’s Transit Safety Pledges for adults, children and pre-readers, sharing the “life-saving rail safety education message encouraging each group to sign a safety pledge and promise to make safe choices around tracks and trains,” according to OLI. It will target key groups within HRT’s service area, focusing on transit riders, pedestrians and drivers.
The grant is made possible by funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
“We are excited to award this grant to HRT and support its innovative approach to promoting our transit safety pledges,” said Rachel Maleh, Executive Director of OLI, the national rail safety education nonprofit. “We hope other transit agencies across the country will embrace the Transit Safety Pledges with their riders, empowering individuals to take personal responsibility for their safety around trains and tracks. With the FTA’s continued support, we look forward to seeing the positive impact of this campaign on transit riders and their communities.”
“FTA is guided by a primary goal of improving safety in American public transportation,” FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said. “Safety on and around rails is critical, wherever rail transit operates. We hope this grant will increase public awareness and bolster pledge signatures into the thousands.”
