Management

Oklahoma DOT establishes new Office of Mobility and Public Transit

July 8, 2019

The new division brings all transit focused oversight and policy planning under a single entity.

A new Office of Mobility and Public Transit within the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been created. The establishment of the new office was included in House Bill 1365, which was signed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on April 25, 2019 and went into effect on July 1.

The new division is charged with overseeing a network of public transit systems, including EMBARK, Tulsa Transit, Little Dixie Transit and others designated by ODOT. The Oklahoma Department of Human Service (OKDHS) will transfer a program that provides federal funding to community organizations to provide bus and van service for the elderly and disabled to the new office. Additionally, the new Office of Mobility and Public Transit is charged with funding and development of the Oklahoma Public Transit Policy Plan.

Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz promised a smooth transition with OKDHS leadership and a collaborative approach to implementing the law working with transit providers and professionals and the industry’s group, the Oklahoma Transit Association, over the next several months for a successful implementation.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director

Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.

Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.