Walk and Roll tour set for May 8 to highlight Bend Central District accessibility improvements

Committee members confirmed plans for a Walk & Roll tour on May 8, 2025 that will showcase accessibility conditions and recent improvements in the Bend Central District and include a Cascades East Transit open house at Hawthorne Station.

Vice Chair Derek Hoffbauer outlined the route and logistics: the event is scheduled 3:30–5:00 p.m., with a departure from Hawthorne Station at roughly 4:00 p.m. The tour is approximately 0.8 miles and will visit Juniper Park, Hawthorne Station, Franklin Avenue and the Safeway corridor before ending at Dogwood, where participants will debrief. Derek said CET has renovated the transit facility, repositioned bus queuing, added EV charging, and removed certain shelters to improve access on Hawthorne Avenue.

Organizers plan outreach to community partners including Central Oregon Coalition on Access (COCA), Central Oregon Disability Support Network (CODSN), Oregon Adaptive Sports, Park & Rec, ODOT and the Deschutes County developmental-disability advisory groups. A flyer will be circulated and the committee set an RSVP cap (preliminary cap discussed at 20) with the option to split into two groups if turnout exceeds capacity.

Cassandra and Derek invited committee members to recruit attendees and table at related community events; Derek volunteered to distribute flyers at the Earth Day parade and the Orchard District annual meeting. CET staff said expanded bus service initiatives (including earlier morning starts and an ADA-accessible vehicle program starting June 2) will be promoted at the open house.