Greater Dayton RTA Shines on Global Stage During NATO Spring Assembly

KATIE WEDELL
Communications Specialist
Greater Dayton RTA

Every day, the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) plays a vital role in connecting the communities of Montgomery County, OH. This past Memorial Day weekend, RTA’s mission expanded far beyond its typical daily operations as the agency became the transportation provider for the 2025 NATO Parliamentary Assembly in downtown Dayton.

From May 22-26, Dayton welcomed more than 500 delegates representing the 32 member countries of NATO for the prestigious international summit. For the RTA, this was more than just a special assignment, it was a high-profile demonstration of the agency’s capability, adaptability, and reliability.

Months of careful preparation went into planning RTA’s special operations for the weekend, with buses shuttling delegates securely between locations in and around the designated NATO village, all while ensuring RTA’s normal operations continued to run smoothly. In total, the event brought more than 1,200 people to Dayton.

Delegates were spread out across five hotels and required transportation to events both within the secured NATO village area of downtown Dayton, and to destinations around the region like Dayton Art Institute and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

RTA’s efforts were coordinated in close partnership with local law enforcement, city officials, and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) and his staff, ensuring top-tier security while maintaining efficiency.

Each NATO shuttle operated with an assigned law enforcement officer onboard to verify credentials and help coordinate secure transit. Service ran from early morning hours into the night, accommodating the full schedule of official NATO meetings and excursions to explore Dayton without incident.

During the peak hours of the NATO weekend, RTA had 32 additional vehicles in operation. The total effort included more than 10,000 trips covering more than 5,200 miles, with 70 drivers and 80 administrative staff members putting in more than 1,200 hours of work over five days.

Even with the added responsibility of transporting NATO delegates, RTA maintained its regular daily service for Montgomery County residents with no disruption. Nearly all of RTA’s routes travel through the downtown transit center, which is adjacent to the highly secured and closed-to-traffic NATO village. Reroutes around the secure zone were communicated to drivers and riders well in advance of the event.

The dual operations were a feat of logistics and coordination that underscored RTA’s commitment to serving both its local and global passengers with excellence.

“I was honored to have our agency be asked to provide delegate transportation for this event and overwhelmed by the delegates appreciation of our services,” said RTA CEO Robert Ruzinsky. “I learned that in most of their countries public transportation is part of their daily lives. I was honored to be able to chat with some of the delegates and have them share their extremely positive views on our fine city and the hospitality they received during their visit.”

RTA’s NATO summit service stands as a model for how small and medium-sized transit agencies can rise to meet the demands of large-scale events while maintaining reliable daily service to the local riders that depend on them.