Metro News Release

For immediate release: November 20, 2003

Metro Board alters Public Service Advertising guidelines

Due to budgetary challenges and a desire to increase Metrorail and Metrobus ridership, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) Board today agreed to reduce its public service advertising space and limit what remains for use by local jurisdictions and the Federal government. Access to the in-system advertising space will provide the Authority with an effective way to enhance marketing efforts without incurring additional expense. Under the previous public service advertising guidelines, approximately 13 percent of total advertising space on Metrobuses and in the Metrorail system had been set aside for free use by government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The new guidelines return 8 percent of that space to Metro to use to promote ridership growth. The remaining 5 percent will be used by the local jurisdictions served by Metro and the Federal government to promote their programs and/or events. Those ads will be non-commercial and politically non-partisan. Metro officials will use the public service advertising space on the sides of buses, in railcars and in stations to promote the advantages and convenience of bus and rail in an effort to encourage people to use mass transit. Local and federal governments and their agencies may use the space for free advertisements related to community, art, cultural, educational, health, and other governmental programs and messages. Nonprofit organizations will no longer have access to free public service advertising in the Metrorail and Metrobus system, although they still may purchase advertising space within the system. Metro will also accept jointly-sponsored public service advertising if there is a partnership between the government entity and nonprofit organization(s) that are classified as 501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations, and must directly further the interests of the sponsoring government entity. Metro will not accept jointly-sponsored public service advertising where the government entity merely endorses a nonprofit organization.

News release issued on November 20, 2003.