Marion County
Marion County Transportation Providers
Cherriots
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.
What our riders say
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
Yamhill County Transit
The Yamhill County Transit Area (YCTA) a county service district was formed in 2007. In 2012 Yamhill County Transit (YCT) contracted with First Transit and began providing public transportation services with Yamhill County’s commissioners serving as the YCT board of directors.
Yamhill County Transit services include demand response, local fixed routes in McMinnville and Newberg and commuter services to West Salem, Grand Ronde, Hillsboro and Tigard.
Local Service: YCT provides six local service routes – four in McMinnville and two in Newberg. These routes help provide access to healthcare facilities, schools, shopping centers, social services and day-care on a Monday through Friday schedule. These routes provide access for commuters to other transit systems. The local routes also include a flag-stop system where a customer may flag down a bus at safe locations along the route to be picked up or dropped off.
Commuter Service: YCT provides service for long-distance commuters through the routes that connect with West Salem, Grand Ronde, Hillsboro and Tigard. Along these routes there are stops in multiple cities such as Amity, Lafayette, Carlton, Yamhill, Dayton, Sherwood, Gaston, Forest Grove, Sheridan and Willamina. The commuter route destinations allow for connections to the Cherriots and TriMet transit systems, which provide access to additional resources for customers.
Dial-A-Ride: General public Dial-A-Ride provides curb-to-curb service for people of all ages in Newberg and McMinnville, with priority given to older adults and people with disabilities. ADA Paratransit provides door-to-door service between origins and destinations located within three-quarter of a mile of local fixed route in Newberg and McMinnville.
Saturday Service: There are 22 Saturday routes between McMinnville and Grand Ronde and 44 between McMinnville and Tigard with each route running four times in each direction.
Why YCT service is so vital
“Yamhill County Transit creates and fosters connections between people.
It is a lifeline, a friend, a sense of purpose and a motivation for those in need.”