Clatsop County
Clatsop County Transportation Providers
Sunset Empire Transportation District (SETD)
Sunset Empire Transportation District (SETD) was approved as a special district by Clatsop County commissioners in 1993. Its service area includes all of Clatsop County, covering 1,085 square miles on the North Oregon Coast.
SETD provides rural transportation services between five incorporated cities, serving more than 41,000 county residents. SETD also serves riders from Columbia and Multnomah counties three times daily along the Lower Columbia Connector Route that extends 200 miles roundtrip from Astoria to Portland.
SETD offers routes for hotel and restaurant workers on the Oregon coast. Routes also serve Clatsop Community College and Tongue Point Job Corp Center staff and students. Employees from fish processing plants along the waterfront in Astoria and Warrenton also rely on SETD services.
Tourists traveling by boat, cruise ships, trailers and motor homes often use the bus routes to travel throughout the area. SETD has four shorter destination-to-destination routes specifically for the summer influx of tourists.
SETD routes go to Providence Seaside Hospital and clinic, Cannon Beach Providence clinic, Seaside Providence urgent care clinic, Columbia Memorial Hospital, the Knight Cancer Center, the Astoria Dialysis Center and several other medical clinics in Astoria.
Pre-COVID ridership averaged 4,645 rides per week. In FY 2022, SETD is averaging 2,762 rides per week.
NW Connector
SETD is a member of the NW Connector, a coordinated regional transit system that includes five transit agencies in NW Oregon: Columbia County Rider, Sunset Empire Transportation District, Tillamook County Transportation District, Benton County Transit and Lincoln County Transit.
The NW Connector transit system was created to provide seamless travel between the Willamette Valley and Oregon Coast from Astoria to Yachats. NW Connector bus schedules are linked to provide continuity of service, making it an easy-to-use alternative for auto travelers and bicyclists going to the coast to cycle. The NW Connector’s network of stops allows riders to plan multiple stops and trip destinations. Riders can pay as they go or purchase a discounted three- day or seven-day pass.
Why SETD is so vital
SETD provides Day Pass Vouchers to local service groups that are given to people to go to medical, dental or counseling visits.
The cost of a taxi between North Coast cities can cost $40 one-way. Bus trips are much cheaper.
Many bus riders are also bicycle riders who find it easy to combine both – even riders with fat-tire bikes that now fit on SETD’s bike racks.
SETD initiated a new service that assists veterans go to doctor and dental visits.
Long stretches of rural roads without streetlights in rainy weather can be dangerous for workers eager to get home after a long day on the job.
SETD doubled service on the busiest routes used by commuters.
