Comanche Nation Transit Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Wednesday, February 15, Comanche Nation Transit served snacks, sweets and drinks to celebrate its 25thAnniversary.
Asset Manager Rebecca Tahchawwickah said there’s much to celebrate in the last 25 years.
“We have been operating a lot in the Fort Sill area for about that long. We service the communities also of Cache, Indiahoma, Fletcher, Syril, Elgin, Apache and then we also have an Anadarko route as well,” she said. “So, we've got a lot to celebrate. From the time that the transit started to now, it has changed dramatically for the better. And we're just so excited to celebrate that.”
Tahchawwickah said there were several changes over the past 25 years.
“The biggest [change] was our app,” she said. “We got the new app for the clients. We expanded again with the Anadarko route. And our hours have pretty much stayed the same, but we're trying to work and experiment what's going to work for us for the future. So, we're really excited to see what other changes come about.”
Tahchawwickah said it was hard moving from the tablet to the app but it was worth it. She also said she’s most proud of the fleet being fully accessible.
“All of them are ADA compliant, so anyone has accessibility to our vehicles,” she said.
The department has also won several awards, including one from a driver winning a rodeo.
“[We] had a lot of awards thrown our way, safety and training awards for two years straight,” Tahchawwickah said. “And also a lot of our drivers, we participate in rodeos. We had one who placed second in one of the rodeos. We're really excited about that.”
She said it’s an incredible experience.
“I came in in 2013, and the transit system was pretty much in its teenage years. And it was kicking off, and it was open to the public, and we had a couple of ADA-accessible vehicles at that time,” Tahchawwickah said. “And then just it progressing and going forward, you know, it's been amazing to watch the transition and watch how it's really blossomed into a robust transit system.”
She said the original transit system started with three drivers, one of those was George Wallace.
“He would go out and he would pick up clients and just operate the transit system, you know, himself and everything that entailed in it,” Tahchawwickah said. “Eventually, around 2008-2009, the transit system applied for grant funding, which allowed them to buy more accessible vehicles at that time. And over time, we continue to go with that grant funding to be able to purchase those accessible vehicles.”
Celebrating the legacy of transit was the main focus of the event.
“Where it started, where it is, and where it's going…it's a really bright future,” Tahchawwickah said. “I think one of the greatest things about working here is our employees. They all come from different life experiences and jobs and things like that. It takes a very special person to be a bus operator, and it takes a very special person to be a dispatcher. And we're lucky enough that we have those.”
Riders, community members and tribal leaders were at the event.
