In Central Oregon, rapid population growth increased the need for transportation services in general, and specifically better coordination of transportation options for seniors, disabled persons and persons without the means of personal mobility.
The Deschutes County Transportation project team coordinated existing mobility services and created a permanent public transportation system to serve all people and communities of Deschutes County. The county-wide system supports, connects, and complements the preexisting transportation services, such as the City of Bend’s fixed route transit system. The team focused on building inter-community services that are:
- Safe
- Environmentally Sound
- Fast
- Affordable
- Flexible
- Fair
- Reliable
- Needs responsive
- Friendly
- Accessible
- Efficient
- Frequent
Objectives
- Identify present and future needs for providing ride options, coordinating transportation services, and ensuring citizen and visitor mobility in Deschutes County.
- Develop a shared vision for the ideal transportation system for Deschutes County.
- Identify steps to work toward the shared vision, including coordination of existing resources and services as well as identifying potential future projects.
- Prioritize coordination initiatives based on the needs that would be met and the potential for success.
- Implement top priority coordination projects.
Results
- This project, and related projects in Crook and Jefferson Counties, resulted in the development of Cascades East Transit – a new region-wide public transit program providing services within and between all Central Oregon communities.
-
Attracted $400,000 from ODOT and $20,000 from the City of Redmond, and a significant amount of federal funds.
- Vastly increased transit service availability.
- Created a one-stop shop for transit services and the development of a regional infrastructure (i.e., transit centers, bus stops, maintenance facilities) on which to build a general public transit system.