An 83% increase in space. Almost double the square footage. A project over 10 years in the making.

Oklahoma State University’s new Transportation Operations Maintenance Facility is bigger and better than ever.

After more than a decade of planning, OSU has completed this $22.4 million investment that nearly doubles the operational space for Parking and Transportation Services. It also expands the university’s ability to maintain its fleet of 700 vehicles, as well as 40 buses.

Located at the corner of Western and Lakeview roads, the 26,136-square-foot facility is a step up from the 14,264-square-foot motor pool on Farm Road where operations were previously held. Construction on the Transportation Operations Maintenance Facility began in October 2024 and will wrap up in September 2026.

For Steve Spradling, director of Parking and Transportation Services, the project is a culmination of years of persistence and planning.

“We outgrew the other one years ago,” Spradling said. “When we started the bus system, we added on to the current facility, and it was just a stopgap measure. This puts us where we need to be for current and future growth.”

The new facility features 12 service bays, three wash bays, seven offices and space to accommodate up to 18 vehicles in the maintenance shop at one time. Plus, there is an automated drive-through bus wash that will lighten the load immensely on keeping their iconic exteriors bright and shiny. The facility will house 16 employees and will help to keep fleet maintenance and transit operations all under one roof.

On top of keeping up with the regular maintenance of all 700 vehicles and 40 buses, the expanded facility will enable more repairs to be completed on campus.

“It will allow us to do a lot more maintenance in-house that we’ve been having to farm out to other places,” Spradling said. “It will overall save us money, and we’ll get a quicker turnaround.”

The project was financed in a large part through the Federal Transit Administration, which supplied 80% of the funding. The other 20% came from OSU.

Spradling said securing this federal funding was a process that stretched out across more than 16 years.

“One of the things I’m most proud about is the fact that we sought out and found funding and were awarded funding without really any University Foundation funds or state funds,” Spradling said.

Beyond crafting a better-fitting space for Parking and Transportation Services, this project supports OSU’s long-standing sustainability efforts. The department plans to continue maintaining the compressed natural gas fleet, while also expanding into renewable natural gas to help reduce emissions and improve operations.

Spradling said the facility reflects the university’s commitment to sustainability while also providing reliable transportation services.

“The importance is a sustainable future,” Spradling said. “The facility is being built for a sustainable future in both transit and fleet services.”

For Spradling, watching the project finally come to fruition has been especially meaningful.

“I’m really happy to see it coming to a conclusion,” Spradling said.

Transportation Operations Maintenance Facility

Story By: Mak Vandruff | makenzie.vandruff@okstate.edu