Skip to content

A Transit Ad That Puts Car Commercials to Shame

This new ad from Västtrafik, Sweden’s second-largest public transportation company, has all the well-worn cliches of a good car commercial: the baritone narrator, the stunning landscapes, the empty roads. What’s different about this ad is that what it’s selling will help preserve that natural scenery, rather than pave and pollute it.

If only public transit in the United States had the same marketing bucks behind it that car companies do, maybe people wouldn’t be spending $42,000 — not much less than the median American household income — on a used GMC Sierra.

Which is not to say that there aren’t any good transit commercials stateside. This won’t likely be dominating the airwaves during the big game, but it’s another good spin on the car ad:

Photo of Angie Schmitt
Angie is a Cleveland-based writer with a background in planning and newspaper reporting. She has been writing about cities for Streetsblog for six years.

Read More:

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

For Earth Day, the Trump Administration Wants To Expand Highways Across America

April 22, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Fare in Love and War

April 22, 2026

Op/Ed: Oil Shocks Will Keep Coming. High-Speed Rail Can Boost Our Resilience. 

April 21, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines Curb Their Enthusiasm

April 21, 2026

‘Best Bikeshare in America’: An Unexpected Community Launches Free, All-Electric Micromobility For Residents

April 21, 2026
See all posts