Capital Area Transit System

Capital Area Transit System (CATS) is a U.S. state government transit authority that receives federal grants as a direct recipient of Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding, operating as a 100% prime recipient with no subrecipient or subcontracting activity. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, CATS operates a 26-route fixed-route bus system and paratransit services serving the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, and does not hold federal contracts, contract vehicles, or IDV positions — its federal footprint is exclusively grant-based.

CATS' work spans transit operations, capital equipment procurement, and infrastructure development. Representative recent FTA formula and competitive grants include a $6.533 million FY 2026 Federal Transit Formula Grants award (CFDA 20.507) for day-to-day operating and preventive maintenance expenses through July 2027; a $5 million formula grant from November 2025 for construction of the North Transit Center and procurement of electric buses for the Baton Rouge Plank/Nicholson Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, targeted for completion December 2026; a $2.5 million formula grant from November 2025 for ADA accessibility upgrades at bus stops throughout Baton Rouge, including concrete boarding slabs and passenger amenities, with completion targeted for January 2027; a $514,045 competitive project grant from May 2023 for feasibility and environmental impact assessment on the Florida Boulevard transit corridor; and a $5.162 million competitively selected FY 2020 Low or No Emissions (Section 5339) grant from September 2022 for procurement of seven electric buses with charging infrastructure, completed June 2025. CATS also received $16.217 million in FY 2021 American Rescue Plan operating assistance (Section 5307) in March 2022 to cover payroll, operations, and scheduling software through December 2025.

The Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration is CATS' sole customer, accounting for 94 of 95 recent awards in the source data. CATS operates exclusively as a grant recipient under FTA formula programs (CFDA 20.507 for urbanized area transit operating and capital assistance), competitive discretionary programs (CFDA 20.526 for bus and bus facilities; Section 5339 for low or no emissions equipment), and project grants. The combined obligated value across all awards in the source is $298.8 million, though the source reports only $10 thousand in combined potential value, reflecting that most grants have been fully obligated. Seven awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing recompete or renewal opportunity in FTA's annual formula and competitive cycles. CATS receives no contract work, sits on no government-wide vehicles, and engages no teaming relationships or subcontractors — its role is direct recipient of federal transit grants for public transportation operations and capital improvements serving Baton Rouge residents, students, and visitors.