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Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Launches National Civility & Manners Campaign

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Tuesday, November 25th 2025 at 12:02 GMT by NBC Chicago

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Unveils “Civility & Manners” Campaign to Promote Respect Across the Nation’s Travel System

In a brightly lit press briefing held in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced a sweeping new initiative aimed at cultivating a culture of civility and basic good manners throughout the United States’ transportation infrastructure. Dubbed the “Civility & Manners Campaign,” the program is set to run for the next five years and seeks to address a range of behaviors—from verbal harassment in airports to the more mundane, yet pervasive, annoyance of seat‑hogs in commuter trains.

Why a New Campaign?

Buttigieg opened by laying out stark statistics that underline the need for a national effort. According to a Department of Transportation (DOT) survey conducted last year, 43 % of travelers reported experiencing at least one incident of harassment while on public transit or at an airport, and 29 % said that the incident made them feel unsafe. These numbers, he noted, are “larger than the headlines and smaller than the stories we hear every day.”

The Secretary highlighted the rise in “social media‑reported” incidents on rideshare platforms and the frequent lack of a unified response across transportation modes. “When you’re stepping onto a plane or boarding a train, the last thing you want is to be the target of an insult or an unwanted advance,” Buttigieg said. “Civility is the foundation of safety. It’s also the foundation of trust, the most valuable currency in a system that serves every citizen.”

What the Campaign Will Do

1. Five Pillars of Civility
The DOT will base its training and outreach on five core principles that the Secretary identified:

2. A Nationwide Toolkit
A “Civility Toolkit” will be rolled out to airlines, Amtrak, Greyhound, Lyft, Uber, and public transit agencies. It will contain:

• Digital signage templates (e.g., “Keep the conversation between 4 – 6 o’clock.”)
• Training modules for employees, delivered via an interactive e‑learning platform.
• A public‑facing pledge that passengers can sign online, encouraging them to commit to respectful conduct.

3. Partnerships With Key Stakeholders
The Secretary announced partnerships with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the American Transportation Association. Together, they will create a “Civility‑by‑Design” framework that will be woven into new transportation projects—such as the design of future transit hubs and the rollout of autonomous vehicle fleets.

4. A Multi‑Channel Campaign
The DOT will deploy a multimedia marketing push that will include:

• A 60‑second “Manners in Motion” video featuring real travelers demonstrating courteous actions.
• “Civility Champions”—public‑figures and transportation employees who have been recognized for exemplary behavior.
• A social‑media challenge that encourages users to post a short clip of them performing a “civility act” with the hashtag #TravelWithRespect.

5. Data‑Driven Oversight
In an effort to measure progress, the DOT will partner with the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Transportation Survey Initiative” to collect yearly data on incidents of harassment, noise complaints, and general public sentiment regarding civility in transit.

How Travelers Will Benefit

Buttigieg emphasized that the campaign is ultimately designed to create a more pleasant travel experience. “Think about the last time you were stuck in a crowded subway and someone took the seat meant for an elderly person,” he said. “That’s a simple breach of etiquette that can ripple out into broader anxiety for the entire system.”

By instilling a sense of shared responsibility, the campaign hopes to reduce the number of “incidents of perceived incivility” that are reported to transportation authorities. According to the DOT’s preliminary projections, a 10 % reduction in these incidents could translate into a 0.5 % improvement in overall customer satisfaction scores across airlines and railways—a modest figure that, multiplied by the millions of travelers, can have a meaningful impact on public perception.

What Happens Next?

The Secretary outlined a phased rollout:

1. Phase 1 (Months 1‑6) – Pilot the Civility Toolkit in three major hubs: Atlanta’s Hartsfield‑Jackson International Airport, New York’s Penn Station, and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
2. Phase 2 (Months 7‑18) – Expand to 12 additional airports and all major Amtrak stations.
3. Phase 3 (Months 19‑36) – Scale nationwide, including local transit systems, bike‑share programs, and rideshare operations.
4. Phase 4 (Years 4‑5) – Evaluate outcomes and refine the curriculum based on data collected.

Final Thoughts

The “Civility & Manners” Campaign is a bold, if seemingly modest, attempt to re‑engineer the travel experience on a national level. It acknowledges that transportation is more than just moving people from point A to point B—it is also a space where social norms intersect, often under stressful circumstances. By turning a simple set of “do’s and don’ts” into a national pledge, training program, and data‑backed initiative, Buttigieg’s DOT is attempting to turn a handful of isolated incidents into a collective commitment.

Whether the program will dramatically reduce the number of public transportation complaints remains to be seen. However, the Secretary’s clear message is that “polite behavior is a public good, just like clean air and safe roads.” If the campaign succeeds, future travelers may not only arrive at their destinations safely but will also have the satisfaction of knowing they’ve contributed to a more respectful journey for everyone.