TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation will receive $10 million from the Federal Transit Administration to construct a new state-of-the-art transit facility in Tahlequah.
The funding, awarded through the FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, will enable the tribe to build a comprehensive transit facility in the Tahlequah Industrial Park. The facility will be owned by the Cherokee Nation and will house critical infrastructure for the tribe’s transit operations.
“This federal investment will significantly enhance our ability to provide safe, reliable transportation services to Cherokee Nation citizens and residents throughout our communities,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This new facility represents a major step forward in modernizing our transit infrastructure and ensuring our fleet can be maintained efficiently and effectively.”
The new transit facility will include bus maintenance bays, administrative offices, dispatch operations, vehicle storage, and workforce training facilities. The building will be leased to the Ki Bois Area Transit System (KATS) program, allowing the service to consolidate operations and perform heavy maintenance on vehicles locally.
Currently, KATS is forced to transport inoperable vehicles to Stigler or utilize contract vendors for major repairs – a costly and inefficient process that takes buses out of service for extended periods.
“Having a proper maintenance facility will be a game-changer for our transit operations,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “This will reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and most importantly, ensure our buses are on the road serving the people who depend on them every day.”
The FTA’s FY 2025 Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Program invested $2 billion in 165 transit projects across 45 states and Washington, D.C., supporting capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, purchase, or lease buses and related equipment, as well as bus facilities.
For more information about Cherokee Nation transit services, visit https://transit.cherokee.org/.