Steve Spradling began his transit career with Oklahoma State University-Stillwater Community Transit as a route supervisor in 2004. While working at his alma mater, Spradling has applied his background in scheduling and logistics to streamline routes, driver schedules and a variety of other essential operations. These improvements greatly increased OSU-Stillwater Community Transit's on-time performance and general dependability throughout the service area.
OSU is one of two, comprehensive state universities. OSU Transit is based on the Stillwater campus, (enrollment 24,231, fall 2011). OSU Transit also serves the 45,688 Stillwater population. This bellwether city on the Oklahoma high plains is equidistant — 64 miles — from the state's two metros sitting west of Tulsa and north of Oklahoma City.
Due to his success and dedication, Spradling took over as director of OSU Parking and Transit Services in 2008. As director, his current responsibilities consist of overseeing several different areas. These areas are: OSU-Stillwater Community Transit which provides local fixed and paratransit services, OSU Stillwater-Tulsa shuttle service, and OSU parking services for the main campus in Stillwater, Okla. The Tulsa-Shuttle, affectionately known around Stillwater as BOB (Big Orange Bus) has nine daily round-trips Monday through Thursday and seven daily round-trips on Friday during the spring, summer and fall semesters.
Since becoming OSU Parking and Transit Director in 2008, Steve Spradling has established two major benchmarks for Oklahoma rural transit in clean energy. OSU Transit, popularly known as "The Bus" around the Oklahoma State University campus, is the first rural Oklahoma public transit to operate CNG vehicles and move the entire fleet toward a 100 percent CNG operation.
As of May 2012, 20 of 22 vehicles in the Stillwater campus fleet are CNG and in April 2011, OSU Transit became the first Oklahoma rural transit system to install a CNG fueling station. The station is open not only to the university, but to the public as well. Spradling is responsible for both milestones.
His leadership and desire for continuous improvement has led to significant enhancements within the departments reporting to him. Spradling led the way to restore inter-city bus service to Stillwater by partnering with Jefferson Bus Lines to provide access to the University's Multi-Modal Transportation Terminal and securing funds to provide Jefferson with a 2010 MCI Motorcoach for the service. Under Spradling's direction, OSU-Stillwater Community Transit has completed a 100 percent upgrade of the transit fleet. This new fleet consists of 20 model year 2010 or newer CNG transit and cut-away buses. In addition, he is currently seeking additional funding for three CNG motorcoach buses for the OSU Stillwater-Tulsa shuttle. In addition to these initiatives Spradling negotiated to bring the Hertz on Demand car share program to the Stillwater Campus with CNG cars available for hourly rental by students and the public. Some other innovations he is responsible for are; cameras in buses, GPS bus tracking, parking citation photos, online customer service videos and pay-by-phone parking.
In February 2010, Spradling became the first OSU transit employee elected to the Oklahoma Transit Association Board of Directors. Spradling is active in the Stillwater community and a Leadership Stillwater graduate. Leadership Stillwater is a program to identify potential and emerging leaders and prepare them for positions of community involvement and civic leadership. Graduates of the program serve on volunteer boards and committees that touch every aspect of the Stillwater community.
In addition to Spradling's professional milestones he is active within the Stillwater Area United Way. Spradling will be helping to coordinate projects for this year's Day of Caring. This event provides an opportunity for citizens to serve in their community by completing community service projects throughout the Stillwater area.
Spradling is a 1994, OSU graduate and served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard.
Sustainability and Dependability
"I thing I enjoy most about what I do is serving the public and being able to provide the OSU campus and city of Stillwater with dependable transit service.
"I would like to see the transit industry continue to move toward sustainability by utilizing more alternative fuel vehicles."
