The Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority(COTA) has been named 2025 Community Transportation System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America.
COTA was distinguished from among the top-performing small transit nationwide and was recognized for performance improvements, expansion of service-access, and dedication to serving rural areas.
The national recognition is a first for any U.S. Pacific Island Territories, according to special assistant for CNMI public transportation Alfreda Camacho Maratita.
“This moment is bigger than us, it’s about our island, our culture, and our people,” Maratita said. “In the Northern Marianas transportation isn’t just about buses and routes, it's a lifeline. It connects elders to care, students to opportunity, workers to jobs, and families to each other.”
In 2023, COTA secured $8 million in federal funding to build typhoon resilient infrastructure, covered bus facilities, and safer shelters.
