Yamhill County approves 2025–27 STIF plan; transit to add frequency, start fares in July

Yamhill County commissioners on Jan. 16 approved the county’s 2025–27 Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) plan, authorizing staff to submit the application and carry out an array of service, capital and policy changes for the county public transportation system.

The plan, which Cynthia of Yamhill County Transit presented to the board, consolidates federal, state and local projects into a single biennial program totaling $12,623,000 and identifies $5,405,000 in STIF funds for the coming two‑year period. Cynthia told the board she used conservative carryover numbers from the county’s most recent STIF audit and estimated fare revenue at $125,000 per year once a new fare system is in place.

Why it matters: the adopted plan guides which routes, capital projects and match strategies the county will prioritize for upcoming grant cycles. It contains both operational changes — including higher frequency on some routes and reductions in demand‑response hours — and capital work such as renovations at the Durham Lane Transit Center.

Cynthia said the transit program has selected a fare collection system and expects the fare policy and vendor implementation to be in place by the end of the…