Aniak has no transit services. The roads are gravel or dirt and there are no sidewalks

The Federal Transit Administration awarded the Village of Aniak $221,659 on December 9, 2025, under the Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program (CFDA 20.509) to establish scheduled public transit service in Aniak, Alaska.

The award funds an ADA-compliant all-wheel-drive van equipped with studded snow tires to provide regularly scheduled transportation serving the airport, clinic, grocery store, tribal offices, school, and riverboat landing. Aniak currently has no transit services; roads are gravel or dirt with no sidewalks, and winter temperatures reach minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit with minimal daylight from September through April. The transit program will serve local residents, visitors accessing airport and clinic services, elders, people with disabilities or mobility issues, and others unable to safely walk on unlit roads in adverse weather or areas inhabited by moose, bears, wolves, wolverines, foxes, and stray dogs.

The Village of Aniak, a federally recognized Yup'ik tribal government with approximately 526 members, is the recipient. Performance runs through October 15, 2026, with place of performance in Aniak, Alaska. No facilities are required; the project involves direct service delivery with no sub-recipients identified in the award documentation.

Activities

Reliable scheduled transportation has been a need for a very long time. The project will have an ADA compliant all-wheel drive high clearance van with studded snow tires to provide transit service in aniak including to the school airport and boat landing. No facilities are required. There are no existing transit programs.

Expected outcomes

The project will benefit the community by allowing people to go to the grocery store school library offices clinic airport post office and boat landing without walking in adverse weather on unlit roads in the dark in the cold in storms without fear of encountering moose bears foxes wolverines wolves or stray dogs. The transit service will benefit local people and people who come to aniak for services or connections. The transit service will benefit elders people with disabilities and mobility issues people who cannot or should not walk children ILL people pregnant mothers and people with luggage / groceries. In alaska IT can be exceptionally isolating to be forced to be home to not be able to walk to the school or store and this takes a toll on mental health in the state with the highest suicide rate in the country.

Intended beneficiaries

Aniak is a subregional hub community meaning that many villages fly into aniak to access the flight to bethel where the regional hospital is or to anchorage for a wide stream of services including all health care that is not triage or well care. Additionally aniak has a sub-regional clinic that serves all of the surrounding villages. Some of the villages surrounding aniak have no grocery stores. People fly to aniak every day for healthcare dental care access to flights and other services for the alaska state trooper outpost and for groceries. People travel to aniak by air and on the river and then must walk to the clinic other airlines or the grocery store from the riverbank or airport. Many people traveling for healthcare have limited mobility or are hurt or unable to walk or the winter weather and dark winter nights is not a healthy option especially for elders and young children. The project will establish a transit program providing regularly scheduled service to and from the airport clinic grocery store tribal offices school and riverboat landing. The community and tribal government support this project and have identified IT as a clear and compelling community need. The route has been mapped. The vehicle will be an all-wheel drive high clearance ADA-equipped van. The van will be stored and maintained by the tribe. The transit program will provide regularly scheduled service through the community to the stores airport clinic boat landing school library tribal offices and youth program. IT will assist elders in getting to the school for elder lunches and children attending the tribes youth program as well as visitors trying to access services in aniak.