Salem Area Mass Transit District

Salem Area Mass Transit District, doing business as Cherriots, is a not-for-profit public transit agency based in Salem, Oregon that receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient from the Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) and related transit programs. Cherriots does not hold federal contracts; its engagement with federal government consists exclusively of grant awards and sub-grant funding from the FTA and pass-through funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Cherriots' federal grant footprint centers on transit operations, fleet modernization, and infrastructure improvements across Marion County, Oregon. Recent prime grant awards include a $13.2 million FY 2025–2026 Federal Transit Formula Grant (CFDA 20.507) obligated August 28, 2025 for operating assistance, preventive maintenance, and ADA paratransit services; a $3.2 million Community Project Funding congressionally directed grant (CFDA 20.534) awarded September 9, 2025 for land acquisition at the future South Salem Transit Center; a $500,000 Formula Grant awarded December 3, 2025 for preliminary engineering and site selection for an East Salem Transit Facility; and a $1.576 million award on June 12, 2026 for human resources software, cybersecurity assessment, facility improvements, and IT equipment replacement. Cherriots also received a $7.428 million Project Grant under CFDA 20.534 (September 25, 2023) and a $6.305 million Project Grant under the FY 2021 Section 5339(c) discretionary program (September 20, 2022), both focused on procuring and deploying battery electric buses and supporting charging infrastructure. Capital work spans vehicle acquisition (electric and compressed natural gas buses), facility improvements at the Del Webb maintenance facility and Downtown Transit Center, fare collection system upgrades, security camera and server replacement, and in-ground vehicle hoists.

The Federal Transit Administration dominates Cherriots' award volume: 102 of 124 total awards (85% prime, 15% sub) come through the FTA. Eight sub-awards flow through the Federal Highway Administration, and one award references the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 20. Thirteen awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. As a sub-recipient, Cherriots receives pass-through funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program (CFDA 20.513) and Transportation Demand Management/rideshare programs, with sub-award activity dating from May 2023 through August 2025. Cherriots holds no parent contract vehicles, GWACs, or BPAs; it operates exclusively within FTA grant mechanisms and state pass-through arrangements. The organization reports $354.9 million in obligated dollars across all federal sources, predominantly driven by large formula grants supporting ongoing transit operations rather than discrete capital projects. No federal contractors serve as Cherriots' partners in the award record; the agency executes transit operations directly with its own staff and contracted service providers.