Awards

Honoring the best in the industry

It’s time for community transportation organizations and individuals to shine! The Community Transportation Association of America is hosting the 2026 Community Transportation Awards during the CTAA EXPO, Presented by Forest River in Omaha, Nebraska on May 13, 2026.

These awards recognize excellence in the community transportation industry in six categories. The person or organization must be a member of our Association. For questions about the awards nomination process, please contact our membership team, at membership@ctaa.org.

Why is this nominee exceptional? Must be described in no more than 200 words per bullet.

It is OPTIONAL to send supporting information (newspaper articles, annual report, etc.) of no more than five pages to membership@ctaa.org by the nomination deadline. Please note, all supporting documents must be reproducible.

Deadline: CTAA Membership Awards nominations close at 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

CATEGORIES

Community Transportation System of the Year - Large System

Defined as providing service in an urban area of more than 50,000 population AND/OR the agency receives 5307 funds. Typical CTAA membership demographics that would apply for this award include our small-urban and tribal transit members. Recognizes a community transportation system for:

  • Innovative and creative services in the community;
  • Being responsive to its customers' and community needs;
  • Actively coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation;
  • Effectively helps the community accomplish their goals;
  • Creates partnerships with a wide-range of organizations, both public and private;
  • Providing accessible transportation service;
  • Building transportation alternatives that are intended to meet a wide range of the communities' needs.

Nominate for Large System

Community Transportation System of the Year - Small System

Defined as providing service in areas and places of a rural setting where the population is 50,000 and below AND/OR the agency receives 5310 or 5311 funding. Typical CTAA membership demographics that would apply for this award include: NEMT/specialized transportation services, rural and tribal transit systems. Recognizes a community transportation system for:

  • Innovative and creative services in the community;
  • Being responsive to its customers' and community needs;
  • Actively coordinating and collaborating with other public and special services transportation;
  • Effectively helps the community accomplish their goals;
  • Creates partnerships with a wide-range of organizations, both public and private;
  • Providing accessible transportation service;
  • Building transportation alternatives that are intended to meet a wide range of the communities' needs.

Nominate for Small System

Outstanding Community Partner

The Outstanding Community Partner Award will recognize a business, organization or person that has deeply enhanced its community's mobility options and strives to innovative the delivery of its public transit services. The recipient of this award will have demonstrated an extensive history of community engagement, as well as have created long-standing partnerships with other stakeholders that allow its residents to flourish.

Nominate for Community Partner

State Leadership

Recognizes the entire organization whether a state association or state agencies that are effective in:

  • Providing creative, effective and continuing training and technical assistance programs;
  • Using new concepts, strategies, procedures and policies to provide support to local transit systems;
  • Communicating local transit systems' concerns and issues at the state and national level;
  • Advocating for public and community transportation at the state and local level.

Nominate for State Leadership

Rising Star

The Rising Star Award is intended to recognize an emerging leader in community transportation whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession and increased levels of leadership, responsibility, and sphere of impact. While eligible nominees will have not yet reached a senior- or chief-level position, their recent track-record in the transit field reflects a strong career trajectory with the possibility of forward advancement and potential for appointment at the highest levels of the profession.

Nominate for Rising Star

Frontline Heroes

The Frontline Heroes Award aims to shine a light on the unsung individuals that go that extra mile time and time again, encapsulating the spirit and professionalism of the workplace and the community transportation industry. Our winner will exude the spirit and professionalism of community transportation at its best. This award can include nominations from any of a transit agency's frontline positions (examples include drivers, dispatchers, etc.)

Nominate for Frontline Heroes

The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and its members believe that mobility is a basic human right. From work and education to life-sustaining health care and human services programs to shopping and visiting with family and friends, mobility directly impacts quality of life.

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