Transit
Bus, Rail, and Street-Level Formats
Bus, Rail, and Street-Level Formats
Transit Advertising in the U.S.
Transit advertising takes your message directly to where people live, work, and move every day. It includes ads placed on or around public transportation systems buses, trains, streetcars, subways, stations, and even benches and shelters.
This format captures audiences who are often difficult to reach through other media. Whether it’s a full bus wrap moving across an entire city, or a digital shelter panel outside a retail hub, transit delivers a blend of high frequency, mobility, and contextual relevance.
Transit advertising is ideal for citywide coverage, neighbourhood targeting, and repetitive daily exposure perfect for brands looking to stay top-of-mind in urban environments.
Multiple formats bus sides, bus rears, train interiors, digital station screens, and street furniture panels
Mobile and stationary visibility captures audiences in vehicles, on sidewalks, and at stops
Continuous exposure commuters see the same routes daily, building strong message recall
Cost-efficient reach across dense population zones and transit corridors
Versatile creative options from static posters to full-motion digital or full-vehicle wraps
Transit Advertising
Format Description Typical Use Bus Kings & Queens Horizontal panels mounted on the sides of buses (King = longer, Queen = shorter). Great for brand awareness across multiple city routes. Full Bus Wraps Entire exterior of a bus wrapped in branded vinyl. High impact moving billboards; ideal for event launches or major campaigns. Bus Rears Panels placed on the back of buses, viewed by drivers in traffic. Perfect for short messages, retail callouts, or geotargeted offers. Rail and Subway Panels Ads placed inside train cars or along station walls. High dwell time with commuters; suited to finance, tech, and lifestyle brands. Digital Transit Shelters Backlit or digital displays at bus stops and rail stations. Ideal for local businesses, retail, entertainment, and real-time messaging. Street Furniture Ads on benches, kiosks, or public amenities near retail centres. Offers continuous presence and walk-by engagement.
Real-World Examples
New York City MTA – Subway station dominations and full-bus wraps by brands like Spotify and Amazon for mass reach and repetition.
Los Angeles Metro – Bus kings, queens, and digital shelters used by studios and automakers to dominate key commuter corridors.
Chicago CTA – Platform takeovers and rail interiors targeting downtown professionals during daily commutes.
San Francisco MUNI & BART Digital- transit shelters and light rail wraps promoting tech, tourism, and cultural events.
Miami-Dade Transit- Full bus wraps and shelter panels for hospitality, retail, and sports campaigns targeting both residents and visitors.
Search Transit Advertising
How do I find the right transit media for my campaign?
Use our Audience Overlay filter Overlay available transit routes with demographic and locational data. Identify high frequency commuter paths or routes near retail, entertainment, or business districts.
Ask Goaty Our AI assistant can instantly recommend the most effective transit formats by city, campaign goal, and budget factoring in dwell time, traffic volume, and audience demographics.
Average Digital Billboard setup
Prepare artwork at 10% of final print size (1/10 scale) at 300 ppi,
including bleed, safety margins, and panel divisions for wraps.
High frequency: commuters see the same vehicles or shelters every day.
Captive audience: long dwell times at stops and stations.
Broad coverage: moving ads reach across multiple neighbourhoods and demographics.
Contextual relevance: ads are placed where people make real-world decisions near retail, offices, and entertainment zones.
Transit advertising is most powerful when used alongside static billboards, posters, and wallscapes reinforcing your campaign message across multiple touchpoints.
Objective Ideal Format Typical Placement National Reach Bulletins, Digital Billboards Highways & Interstates Regional Focus Posters Urban/Suburban Corridors Local Engagement Junior Posters Neighbourhoods & Retail Zones Cultural Impact Murals / Wallscapes Urban Building Façades Mass Mobility Reach Transit Advertising Buses, Rail, Shelters & Street Furniture
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