Bend accessibility advisory committee presses transit agencies and city on CET fare changes, taxi accessibility

Bend — Members of the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee and local disability service providers told Cascades East Transit and city licensing officials on June 26 that proposed fare changes and limited wheelchair‑accessible taxi service could sharply reduce mobility for people who rely on public transit or Medicaid‑funded rides.

The concerns came during a presentation by Lisa Lang of Full Access High Desert and an impromptu appearance by Bob Johnson, director of Cascades East Transit (CET). Lang described the operational burden her case‑management agency faces when transportation plans change and said the agency serves about 400 clients, 124 of whom have taxi service in their plans and about 60 who use taxi regularly. She warned that rising fares, higher insurance costs for taxi companies and uncertainty about ticketing methods risk creating a “domino effect” that would increase client isolation.

The committee’s accessibility and equity manager, Cassandra (last name not specified in transcript), proposed collecting the committee’s questions and sending them to the city manager, Eric King, for forwarding to CET and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), the board that approves CET fare changes. Committee chair Liz Woodfin moved that Cassandra act as the conduit; Cassandra later confirmed she would summarize the meeting’s concerns in a memo to the city manager and request that staff forward the questions to COIC and CET.

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