Advertise on Transfort

Transfort has space on the interior and exterior of Transfort buses, bus benches, and bus shelters (collectively “Transfort Advertising Space”). It is Transfort’s policy to permit use of Transfort Advertising Space, to the extent determined by Transfort to support Transfort’s purposes and operations: 

• for paid commercial advertising, to generate revenue for the City and the construction, operations and maintenance of the Transfort’s facilities and services (“Commercial Advertising”); and 
• to provide information to the public by or about the City of Fort Collins, including messages requested and paid for by federal, state, or local governmental entities that have been selected for adoption as the City’s own message (“City Communications”). 

Transfort uses Transfort Advertising Space for Commercial Advertising or City Communications only in those locations made available by Transfort for such purposes in Transfort’s sole discretion. 

As further described in the next section, Transfort’s Advertising Space is a non-public forum. The primary purpose of Transfort’s transit system is to provide safe and efficient public transportation within its service area. Consistent with this purpose, Transfort places great importance on maintaining secure, safe, comfortable and convenient transit facilities and vehicles in order to, among other things, be consistent with the provision of effective and reliable public transportation, retain existing riders, and attract new users of public transit services. The purpose of Transfort’s Advertising Space as a non-public forum is to support the running of an efficient and profitable transit system while promoting public health and safety and protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors. 

Transfort’s Advertising Space is a non-public forum and, as such, Transfort will accept only that advertising that falls within the categories of acceptable advertising specified in this viewpoint-neutral policy and that satisfies all other access requirements and restrictions provided herein.  

Only Commercial Advertising and City Communications are permitted on Transfort Advertising Space. Transfort Advertising Space and this Policy do not provide or create a public forum. Transfort does not accept advertising by others for non-commercial purposes except for City Communications. Transfort reserves the sole right to determine the size, location, placement, duration, price, and all other terms for any Transfort Advertising Space made available. 

The City reserves the right to suspend, modify or revoke the application of any of the standards in this Policy as it deems necessary to comply with legal mandates, to accommodate its primary transportation function, or to fulfill the goals and objectives identified above. All the provisions in this Policy shall be deemed severable. 

On occasion, the City may adopt advertisements on behalf of external government entities with which the City shares policies, goals, or strategic objectives. City departments and external government entities, as defined under C.R.S. 29-1-202(1), may contact Transfort to discuss whether there’s a shared interest in advertising for events, programs, or messages on Transfort advertising space. 

Types of Commercial Advertising Permitted 
The only Commercial Advertising permitted by Transfort is Commercial Advertising that proposes, promotes, or solicits an identifiable commercial transaction for the sale, rent, lease, license, distribution, or availability of goods, property, services, or events that anticipates an exchange of monetary consideration, for the advertiser’s commercial or proprietary interest. For purposes of identifying a commercial transaction, Transfort will rely on: 

• Font size, 
• Location of text, 
• Contrast of text to images,  
• Prominence of the advertised transaction in the advertisement overall, and 
• Other objective criteria reasonably related to identifying the underlying commercial transaction 

Transfort’s acceptance of Commercial Advertising does not constitute express or implied endorsement of the content or message of the advertisement, including any person, organization, products, services, information or viewpoints contained therein, or of the advertisement sponsor itself. This endorsement disclaimer extends to and includes content that may be found via internet addresses, quick response (QR) codes, and telephone numbers that may appear in posted ads and that direct viewers to external sources of information. 

All Commercial Advertising will be evaluated to ensure it meets the general requirements for commercial advertising and none of the prohibited subject matter is included. These restrictions are designed to promote the above stated purposes for Transfort’s transit system.  

Commercial Advertising is prohibited if it depicts, contains, promotes, or includes to any extent the following products, services, activities, content or subject matter: 
 
Tobacco, Nicotine, Smoking, Vaping: Tobacco and/or nicotine products; and products that simulate smoking or other use of such products or are modeled on such products, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes and vaping implements, and smokeless (e.g., chewing) tobacco;  

Cannabis: Cannabis products, businesses, or services; 

Alcohol: Beer, wine, distilled spirits or any alcoholic beverage licensed and regulated under Colorado law; however, this prohibition shall not prohibit the name of a restaurant that is open to minors; 

Firearms: Firearms; ammunition; gun shows; or other firearms-related products or services; 

Adult/Mature Rated Films, Television/Electronic Content, or Electronic Games: Adult films rated “X” or “NC-17”, television or electronic content (e.g., online, downloadable or app content) rated “MA”, and electronic (video, computer or app) games rated “A” or “M”; theatrical presentations recommended by the sponsor for persons 18 years or older; and similar content regardless of platform or type;  

Adult Entertainment Facilities: Adult bookstores, adult video stores, nude dance clubs, and other similar adult entertainment establishments; 

Other Adult Services: Adult telephone services, online pornographic sites, online dating sites, escort services, and other similar adult services; 

Obscene Subject Matter: Any material that, when viewed as a whole, can reasonably be regarded as meeting the standards for obscene as set forth in C.R.S. 18-7-101; 

Nudity, Sexual, Sadomasochistic and/or Excretory Subject Matter: Sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse (all as defined in C.R.S. 18-7-501 as amended, modified or supplemented); or excretory subject matter; 

False, Misleading, Defamatory or Invasive Subject Matter: Any material that is or that the advertiser reasonably should have known is false, fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or could reasonably constitute a tort of defamation or invasion of privacy; 

Infringing or Otherwise Unlawful Subject Matter: Any material that is an infringement of copyright, trademark or service mark, or is otherwise unlawful or illegal; 

Illegal Activity or Products: Illegal activity or product that is illegal under any federal, state or local law; 

Violent Subject Matter: Images or descriptions of graphic violence, including dead, mutilated or disfigured human beings or animals, or intentional infliction of pain or violent action toward or upon a person or animal; images or depiction of blood or open wounds; images or depictions of human body parts, animal parts, or fetuses in states of mutilation, dismemberment, decomposition, or burning; or depiction of weapons or injury-causing devices that appear to be aimed or pointed at the viewer or observer in a menacing manner; 

Unauthorized City Graphics, Images, Content and Representations: Subject matter that contains any City or City department graphics, logos, images, content or representations without the express written consent of the City or City department; 

Unsafe Transit Behavior: Material that encourages or depicts unsafe behavior with respect to transit-related activities, such as non-use of normal safety precautions in awaiting, boarding, riding upon or debarking from transit vehicles; 

Lights, Noise and Special Effects: Flashing lights, sound makers, mirrors or other special effects that interfere with the safe operation of the bus or the safety of bus riders, drivers of other vehicles or the public at large; 

Profane Subject Matter: Any material that, when viewed as a whole, can reasonably be regarded as using words, text, symbols, gestures, or images recognized by the community as profane for display in a public setting that includes minors; profane means “grossly offensive” language that is considered a public nuisance, including swear words and slang terms for sexual body parts, even where intentionally misspelled or modified in grammar or spacing in order to obscure use of profanity; 

Derogatory or Degrading Subject Matter:  Material that is derogatory or degrading of any person or group on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, age, disability, ancestry, marital or parental status, military status, source of income, religion, gender, or sexual orientation such that it is reasonably foreseeable it will result in harm to (including loss of ridership), disruption of, or interference with the transportation system;  

Subject Matter Harmful or Disruptive to Transit System: Material that depicts or advocates conduct in violation of Transfort’s Code of Conduct; or that is so objectionable under contemporary community standards as to be reasonably foreseeable that it will result in harm to, disruption of, or interference with the transportation system. 

Acceptance and/or placement of an advertisement by Transfort does not create a right to continued placement of that advertisement, and the City reserves the authority to further review and remove advertisements that are later determined to violate the law, City standards, or this Policy.