House District 19
Salem Area Mass Transit District
SAMTD is a municipal corporation covering 76 square miles in the Mid- Willamette Valley between Portland and Salem. SAMTD provides service to a population of more than 500,000 residents in Marion and Polk counties. Cherriots provides 3.2 million passenger trips annually.
SAMTD operates specific routes that provide transportation to large work centers such as the Capitol Mall area near downtown Salem where thousands of state workers are stationed; Chemeketa Community College with more than 10,000 students enrolled; Mill Creek Corporate Center, home to Home Depot Distribution Warehouse and Amazon Fulfillment Center; and Salem Health, the city’s largest private employer.
Chemeketa Community College, another large employer and the second largest community college in Oregon, is the most popular destination for transit riders in east Salem. Chemeketa also has the second highest boardings in the Cherriots system next to the Downtown Transit Center.
One of the busiest corridors of Salem is Lancaster Drive, located near shopping malls and other retailers. These large employment providers generate jobs and contribute to a healthy economy. In addition, there are about 35 medical providers and Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) providers that deliver vital services, including counseling, dentistry, audiology, behavioral health programs and primary care. Lancaster Drive’s Route 11 ensures that all people can access appointments conveniently and safely.
For commuter services, SAMTD partners with outlying communities to bring people directly from outlying areas to the critical services offered in the cities of Salem and Keizer. District area partners include Tillamook County Transportation District, Yamhill County Transit, Canby Area Transit, South Metro Area Regional Transit and Woodburn Transit System. They connect with Cherriots and Cherriots Regional to serve Grand Ronde, Lincoln City, McMinnville, Amity, Woodburn, Wilsonville and Canby.
How many buses, vans and other vehicles do you operate? SAMTD maintains 64 active buses for fixed route service, Cherriots Local; 43 buses for paratransit service, Cherriots LIFT; and 13 buses for the Cherriots Regional service.
Key priorities for making service route decisions?
Every four months – January, May, and September – Cherriots implements service changes based on input from customers, drivers, other Cherriots employees and performance monitoring results. Our decisions are based on community need.
How has Cherriots applied its funding from the STIF?
We have applied STIF funds to expand service at night and on Saturday and Sunday, which required purchasing three buses and hiring operators, supervisors and maintenance and security personnel. STIF funds ensured we could cover the increased cost for new buses. We also used STIF to offer reduced fares for youth passengers.
How would Cherriots apply additional STIF funding?
Further investment in public transportation will enable our communities to provide access to opportunities, create good paying jobs, address climate change and modernize transit systems to meet growing mobility demands:
Long-overdue upgrades and repairs to aging public transit infrastructure while modernizing the bus fleet.
Replacing older public transit vehicles with newer, low- emission ones to support the transition to a more sustainable, cleaner future.
Improved access to public transit, both for historically underserved communities as well as for riders with disabilities.
Design and build a mobility assessment center.
Build a new operations and maintenance facility for the ongoing electrification of the transit fleet.
“I'm grateful to Cherriots drivers and staff who keep this service going. Many of us need the bus for groceries & prescriptions. Cherriots is always looking for ways to serve the community better and we're blessed to have them. Thanks so much!” —Nichole
“I am grateful for fearless bus drivers willing to do their part to get the essential and still working persons to work and back with stretched resources. I hope everyone stays safe. Thank you.” —Gelante
“I appreciate you still running. I work at Walmart and you're my only way there. You enable me to keep doing my job and helping people in this time.” —Jeanne