The Tri-State Transit Authority

The Tri-State Transit Authority, doing business as The Transit Authority, is a West Virginia-based inter-municipal transit authority that operates as a federal grant recipient, receiving funding exclusively from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under multiple federal transit grant programs to fund regional public transportation operations, preventive maintenance, capital purchases, and fleet upgrades across the Huntington, West Virginia metropolitan area serving portions of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

The Tri-State Transit Authority is a U.S. local government entity structured as an inter-municipal transit authority headquartered at 1120 Virginia Ave, Huntington, West Virginia 25704. As a public agency rather than a for-profit contractor or nonprofit, it does not hold federal contracts or contract vehicles (GWACs, IDIQs, BPAs, or GSA Schedules) and competes in no set-aside categories. Its federal footprint consists entirely of direct grant awards from the Federal Transit Administration.

The authority's federal grant work centers on sustaining regional transit operations and modernizing transit infrastructure. Recent awards include a $3.201 million Federal Transit Formula Grants award (CFDA 20.507) obligated August 21, 2026, through September 30, 2027, for operating expenses and preventive maintenance; a $2.5 million Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Grant (CFDA 20.526) awarded June 27, 2024, for the purchase of four replacement buses; a $1.65 million Federal Transit Formula Grants award from December 12, 2024, for three replacement buses; and a $1.312 million Buses and Bus Facilities award from January 7, 2026, for fare collection system replacement and wireless area network installation. The authority also received a $427,593 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities grant (CFDA 20.513) awarded January 12, 2026, with pass-through funding to Cabell County Community Services Organization and Hospice of Huntington for paratransit vehicle procurement and mobility management. The authority has no sub-recipients on its core operational and capital awards; where sub-recipients appear, they receive pass-through funding for designated paratransit services or replacement vehicle procurement.

The Tri-State Transit Authority has received 65 federal grants totaling $97.5 million obligated across the past fifteen years, with all awards from the Federal Transit Administration. Activity has averaged less than one award per year historically, with recent uptick to four awards in 2026 and 2023 each. Three awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months and will face grant recompete or continuation decisions in that window. As a public agency, the authority does not subcontract federal work and operates exclusively as a prime grant recipient, with no role in federal procurement vehicles or contract teaming.