OATS Transit

What OATS Transit does

OATS Transit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rural public transportation provider operating across all 87 counties in Missouri and self-described as the largest rural transportation provider in the United States. Founded in 1971 as Cooperative Transportation Service by Missouri volunteers who attended the White House Conference on Aging, the organization rebranded to Older Adults Transportation Service (OATS) in 1973, shortened to OATS, Inc. in 1980, and adopted the OATS Transit name in 2018. OATS Transit provides demand-response and deviated fixed-route bus services serving seniors, individuals with disabilities (including those served through sheltered workshops), Veterans accessing VA facilities, and the rural general public, completing 1-1.5 million trips and traveling 10-15.6 million miles annually with a fleet of 600+ buses.

The operational model centers on a Columbia, Missouri headquarters and six regional offices (St. Joseph, Macon, Springfield, Bridgeton/Union, Harrisonville) that coordinate dispatch and route planning. Technology infrastructure is conventional: a tablet-based scheduling/routing system deployed in 2019, a mobile app (iOS and Android) for rider bookings, and phone-based central scheduling (1-888-875-6287). The organization does not disclose proprietary technology development, and there are no patents, AI capabilities, or software products in its portfolio.

Revenue is composed of four streams: (1) Federal Transit Administration grants that subsidize most routes serving the rural general public, seniors, and individuals with disabilities; (2) contract fees from agency partners such as the Productive Living Board of St. Louis County ($1.7M-$1.87M annually) and Developmental Disability Advocates ($1.28M) for sheltered workshop transportation; (3) passenger fares of $2 per one-way ride (general public), $4 for deviated fixed-route, and structured passes ($20 ten-ride, $40 monthly unlimited, $80 student semester); and (4) foundation grants and donations from entities including Jefferson Foundation, Veterans United Foundation, Boone Electric Community Trust, and dozens of additional community foundations across Missouri. GTM is sales-led via direct contracts with government agencies, healthcare providers (DaVita, Mosaic Life Care), VA facilities, sheltered workshops, and Area Agencies on Aging, with regional directors managing local relationships.

Name

OATS Transit

Legal name

OATS, Inc.

Website

https://oatstransit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

OATS Transit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rural transportation provider operating across all 87 Missouri counties with a 600+ bus fleet and 575+ employees. It serves seniors, individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and the rural general public through demand-response and deviated fixed-route services, completing 1-1.5 million trips annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Public Transportation Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Senior Transportation Shuttles (Dial-a-Ride, Non-ADA) (TLAFAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior & Assisted-Living Demand-Responsive Transport (THAIAHAE), Community / Nonprofit Public Transit Bus Operators (TLAFAGAJ), Transportation-Integrated Adult Day Programs (Day Program + Non-Emergency Transport) (HLADAIAK), On-Demand Ride Coordination & Assisted Rides (TNC/Taxi Brokerage) (HSABAOAJ)

Keywords

• Rural public transportation
• Demand-response transit
• Paratransit services
• Non-emergency medical transport
• Senior transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Transit Administration Grants: OATS Transit applies for and receives federal grants to transport individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, Veterans, low-income individuals and the rural general public. Most routes are subsidized partially by federal grants.
2. Contract Transportation Services: Partners with agencies like Productive Living Board (PLB) and Developmental Disability Advocates (DDA) to provide contract transportation solutions for sheltered workshops and disability services.
3. Passenger Fares: General public riders pay standardized fares of $2.00 per one-way ride. Additional revenue from passes including 10-ride passes ($20), monthly unlimited ($40), and student semester passes ($80).
4. Foundation Grants and Donations: Receives grants from community foundations (Jefferson Foundation, Boone County Community Trust, Veterans United Foundation, etc.) for vehicle purchases and service support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OATS Transit provides demand-response and deviated fixed-route public transportation services to senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and the rural general public across 87 Missouri counties. The organization also delivers contracted transportation solutions to partner agencies serving specialized populations, including healthcare facilities, sheltered workshops, and VA facilities. Services are delivered through a fleet of more than 600 buses coordinated via six regional offices, a centralized phone scheduling line, and a mobile app.

Product overview

OATS Transit is a nonprofit rural transportation provider offering a portfolio of transit services across 87 Missouri counties. The core offering consists of rural accessible public transportation for people of all ages and abilities, supplemented by contract transportation solutions for agency partners serving individuals with disabilities, seniors, and veterans. Supporting the main transit services are the OATS Transit Mobile App for rider convenience, Deviated Fixed Route Service providing flexible route options, InterCity Express for longer-distance regional travel, and The Wheel newsletter for customer communication. The company operates as a unified transportation ecosystem rather than a platform-with-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rural Demand-Response Public Transportation Door-to-door and curb-to-curb bus transportation service scheduled on demand for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and rural residents across 87 Missouri counties. Riders book trips via the central scheduling line, regional offices, or the OATS Transit mobile app. Fares are $2.00 per one-way trip for the general public, with seniors aged 60+ and individuals with disabilities riding under AAA contracts asked to contribute a minimum amount.
• Contract Transportation Solutions Partnership-based transportation services contracted with agencies to provide specialized transit for specific populations including individuals with developmental disabilities, seniors, veterans, and dialysis patients. Contracts include multi-year agreements with the Productive Living Board (PLB) and Developmental Disability Advocates (DDA) for transportation to sheltered workshops and day programs in St. Louis County and Jefferson County.
• Deviated Fixed-Route Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided more than 1 million trips annually across Missouri
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Productive Living Board (PLB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOATS Transit has partnered with PLB for more than two decades to provide rides to individuals with developmental disabilities in St. Louis County. PLB provided $1.7 million (2024) to serve 180+ riders and $1.87 million (2025) to transport clients to sheltered workshops including Canterbury Enterprises, Heartland Industries, Valley Industries, Project CU, and Lafayette Industries. PLB also provides bus match dollars for vehicle purchases.
• Developmental Disability Advocates (DDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOATS Transit partnered with DDA for over two decades to provide rides to individuals with developmental disabilities in Jefferson County. DDA provided $1.28 million to serve 150 riders daily, transporting them to work at Jeffco Subcontracting Inc. and Next Steps for Life. DDA also provides bus match dollars for vehicle purchases.
• City of Lee's SummitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with City of Lee's Summit and Kansas City Area Transit Authority, OATS Transit operates Ride KC buses in Lee's Summit.
• Mosaic Life CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStepped forward during government shutdown to pay for St. Joseph service until the end of the shutdown so that seniors could continue getting to medical appointments.
• City of MaconminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Macon and Macon Chamber of Commerce for daily service in the City of Macon.
• Macon Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Macon and OATS Transit for daily service in the City of Macon.
• Missouri Propane Education and Research CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with OATS Transit to evaluate performance of propane-powered 12-passenger Ford Cutaway bus in Columbia market.
• Central States Bus SalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvited OATS Transit to test a propane-powered bus, partnering with Missouri Propane Education and Research Council for the demo.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hopelink: Hopelink is a Washington-state nonprofit that combines social services with transportation programs serving low-income, senior, and disabled populations. It mirrors OATS's hybrid model of community social services plus accessible transit in a defined multi-county region.
• Ride Connection: Ride Connection is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit providing accessible transportation for seniors and people with disabilities across a multi-county service area, funded through contracts, grants, and donations. Comparable as a community-based, contract-funded accessible transit nonprofit.
• ITN America: ITN America is a nonprofit providing dignified, door-through-door transportation for seniors and people with visual impairment across multiple U.S. affiliates. It is the closest conceptual peer to OATS — a mission-driven, community-based senior transportation nonprofit operating through local affiliate networks.

Broad incumbents

• MTM Transit: MTM Transit manages NEMT, public transit, and paratransit programs for state Medicaid agencies and transit authorities nationwide. It is comparable as a large-scale contract transportation manager for government and healthcare partners, similar to OATS's PLB/DDA model but at multi-state scale.
• Transdev (formerly Veolia Transport / First Transit): Transdev is a global public transit operator that contracts with transit agencies to manage fixed-route and paratransit service. It is comparable to OATS in the contract transportation space but operates at a vastly larger scale and broader service mix including urban transit.
• Modivcare (formerly LogistiCare): Modivcare is the largest U.S. broker of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), managing Medicaid and Medicare ride benefits at national scale. It competes with OATS in the disability/senior transit space but as a tech-enabled brokerage rather than a fleet operator.

Others

• Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA): CTAA is the national industry association for community and public transportation, of which OATS Transit is a recognized member and award recipient. Comparable as the trade body that defines standards, advocacy, and funding frameworks that OATS operates within.
• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC): NADTC is a federally funded national resource center promoting transportation access for older adults and people with disabilities. Comparable as the ecosystem/thematic enabler for OATS's mission, providing grants, technical assistance, and federal coordination.

Emerging players

• Uber Health: Uber Health provides ride-hailing logistics for healthcare appointments and is increasingly adopted by Medicaid managed care plans. It is an emerging alternative for senior and NEMT riders who can self-board, potentially eroding demand for traditional demand-response operators like OATS.
• Lyft Healthcare: Lyft Healthcare partners with Medicare Advantage plans, hospitals, and ACOs to provide NEMT through the Lyft app. It is comparable to OATS as a senior/healthcare transportation provider but uses gig drivers rather than dedicated accessible vehicles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oatstransit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/oatstransit
• Facebookfacebook.com/oatstransit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oats-transit
• Instagraminstagram.com/oatstransit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OATS Transit