Jackson County
Jackson County Transportation Providers
Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) is the public transportation and paratransit provider for the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. RVTD provides service to more than 223,000 residents in Jackson County, directly serving Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Phoenix, Talent, Jacksonville, White City and Eagle Point. Post-COVID, RVTD provides more than 650,000 passenger trips annually.
RVTD operates routes that provide transportation to the area's largest employers such as Harry & David and Asante. The District provides critical services along the Highway 99 corridor and serves higher education institutions such as Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University with a collective enrollment of 9,000 students. These large employment, education and healthcare providers generate jobs and opportunities that contribute to a healthy economy.
Many of RVTD’s passengers rely on the district’s bus service as their primary mode of transportation. 66% of passengers use RVTD’s service weekly and 29% of passengers do not have access to a vehicle. Top destinations for RVTD’s passengers include work (32%), shopping (22%), medical appointments (8%), and social and community opportunities (11%). Public transit serves as a lifeline for many in Southern Oregon and an opportunity to participate in the local economy.
Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD)
Why RVTD service is so vital
“On Sept. 8, 2020, we lost our home of 17 years in the Almeda Fire. After 101 days of living in the Girl Scout shelter, we were able to move into our new place. With so many families displaced, their kids will still be able to go to school in Phoenix and Talent because they can ride RVTD.”
-Jocksana Corona
"The bus goes anywhere I need to go. Giving me the freedom to choose how I spend my day. Many folks can’t afford cars, but RVTD gets them where they need to be.”
-Lynda Hurst
Umpqua Public Transportation District (UPTD) operates fixed route, paratransit, commuter route and demand-response Dial A Ride services for approximately 110,000 residents in Douglas County.
UPTD’s service area covers the entire county, encompassing 5,036 square miles of rugged, forested mountains and rivers that extend more than 110 miles from Crater Lake National Park to the Pacific Ocean and more than 70 miles of the I-5 corridor between Lane and Josephine counties.
UPTD is the sole transit system providing critical connections for the county's most vulnerable residents to access work, education, basic needs, medical care and day-to-day shopping. Riders come from small rural communities with as few as 200 residents to the county seat of Roseburg with a population approximately 25,000. Many county residents live near the I-5 corridor. Around 70 percent of residents live within two miles of a UPTD bus stop.
Hourly fixed route bus service is provided along a 23-mile corridor spanning Roseburg, Sutherlin and Winston between 6 am and 8 pm, Monday through Friday.
Complimentary paratransit services for eligible riders are available within three- quarters of an air mile of fixed route service during the same business hours of 6 am to 8 pm.
Saturday service, both fixed route and paratransit, is only provided in Roseburg.
Commuter service is provided from Roseburg to Winston, Dillard, Myrtle Creek, Tri-City, Riddle and Canyonville between 4:50 am and 8 pm, with a total of seven 100-mile round trips daily.
Demand-response Dial A Ride services are provided for older adults and people with disabilities in rural areas on a space-available basis for local rides and to bridge the gap to get riders to bus stops for trips outside of the community. Same-day rides are scheduled on a space available basis giving priority to older adults and people with disabilities.
Umpqua Public Transportation District (UPTD)
Why UPTD service is so vital
After implementing a Free Ride Friday promotion, a woman named Lois called the transit manager to say:
“The $8 I saved in my paratransit fare when I go grocery shopping is enough to buy the chicken meal deal at Fred Meyer. This is my dinner for four days.”
That convinced UPTD to lower its fares.
Residents of Winston and Dillard expressed elation with added service. Marcus said:
“Thanks for adding the new times. We were able to catch a bus in town in the am and return home by noon. Just amazing.
“We met friends today who, like us, took the bus to enjoy a walk at Ford’s Pond in Sutherlin.”