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OATS celebrating 45 years in MO

oats 45yr logo colorOATS, the country’s largest rural transit provider, will celebrate 45 years of service in Missouri tomorrow.   Originally founded in 1971 by a group of individuals who saw a need for transportation, especially in rural areas, OATS has grown to be one of the largest and most unique systems in the country. As a public transportation provider, OATS buses traveled 14.8 million miles last year to serve residents in Missouri. There are more than 32,000 people who utilize their services.   Last year, 1,594,584 one-way trips were provided with a staff of 700.

OATS, a member of the Missouri Public Transit Association, serves 87 counties in the state.  “MPTA congratulates OATS on its 45 years of outstanding service to Missouri residents across the state.  OATS is not only a leader in Missouri but their work is being recognized on the national level as well.  They were recognized as the National Rural Transit Provider System of the year at the 2016 Community Transit Association of America (CTAA) conference.  Congrats to the staff, Executive Director Dorothy Yeager, and your drivers.   Thank you for ensuring Missourians get where they need to go everyday almost everywhere in this state,” said Cindy Baker, MPTA President.

“The high quality service OATS provides to Missourians across the state is tremendous. They are a national leader in providing essential transportation services, and we are proud and delighted to congratulate them on their 45th anniversary,” Michelle Teel, P.E., Multimodal Operations Director, the Missouri Department of Transportation.

 

OATS will hold a celebration in Columbia, MO tomorrow.