Transit Driver Appreciation Day is an annual event to celebrate the public service of public transit vehicle operators. The date of March 18 was selected to commemorate the first bus line, Blaise Pascal's Carrosses à cinq sols in Paris, 1662.Wired, March 18, 1662: The Bus Starts Here … In Paris, 17 March 2008. Retrieved on 2 May 2018
Observing agencies Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day is recognized by transit agencies across North America to celebrate the invaluable contributions of transit professionals. March 18 holds special significance as the day when the first public transit system was launched in France in 1662.
Canada Toronto Transit Commission BC Transit South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Brampton Transit City of Winnipeg Transit Grand River Transit
United States Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of OregonHave you thanked your bus or train operator lately? on trimet.org King County MetroTransit Driver Appreciation Day on kingcounty.gov. Retrieved on 26 February 2021 Sun Tran of Tucson, Arizona Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority on ccrta.org. Retrieved on March 2, 2022 Hill Country Transit District on takethehop.com. Retrieved on March 18, 2022 Community Transit Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority Bay Area Rapid Transit Dallas Area Rapid Transit Sacramento Regional Transit Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority of Omaha
History In 2009, Hans Gerwitz and Shannon E. Thomas published a blog postBus Driver Appreciation Day, 23 February 2009 calling for a Bus Driver Appreciation Day. That year it was publicized by local transit-oriented blogs in Seattle,Seattle Transit Blog, Next Wednesday is Bus Driver Appreciation Day, 11 March 2009 Virginia,Ideas for Hampton Roads Transit, Bus Driver Appreciation Day, 17 March 2009 and Washington, D.C.Track Twenty-Nine, Bus Driver Appreciation Day: Tomorrow, 17 March 2009
For the 2013 observance, Portland's TriMet established busdriverday.org.
By 2014, TriMet included rail operators by changing the name of Bus Driver Appreciation Day to Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Their site migrated to transitdriverday.org and the Amalgamated Transit Union began publicly observing the dayATU salutes members on Transit Driver Appreciation Day, 18 March 2014 with the new name. This fostered extensive recognition throughout North America.
By 2023, the day was also recognized as "Transit Operator Appreciation Day", "Transit Employee Appreciation Day" and "Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day".
See also Public transport
References
External links Transit Driver Appreciation Day Slate, Bus Driver Appreciation Day: A Fitting Tribute To One Of The Most Stressful Jobs In The World, 26 Jan 2011 KBCS Radio, Unmute the Commute: Transit Driver Appreciation Day, 17 March 2017