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Cascades East Transit plans earlier starts, 30‑minute service intervals, new passes and October fare re‑implementation
Summary
Cascades East Transit will start fixed‑route service earlier, target 30‑minute headways on most routes, launch a tap/pass payment system this summer and reintroduce fares in October, CET staff told the Bend MPO TAC.
Bob Townsend, general manager for Cascades East Transit, briefed the TAC on major service and administrative changes planned for 2025.
Townsend said CET plans to change the fixed-route schedule effective Monday, June 2, moving from approximately 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. to an earlier 6 a.m. start and an extended evening finish (to about 7:30 p.m.). He said the agency intends to run most routes on 30‑minute cycles to reduce multi‑bus commute times.
The agency will introduce Route 8 — intended to serve Northeast Bend neighborhoods — with service beginning July 14, subject to final routing decisions and public review. Townsend said staff will present proposed Route 8 alignments for public comment within weeks.
Townsend described a summer rollout of a new electronic pass and payment system (card and app-based) with a soft-launch in June and a full implementation window through September. The pass will enable verified reduced fares (seniors, low‑income, ADA/eligible) to be tied to a user account so reductions are applied automatically, he said. CET will still offer ways to add cash value for people without smartphones.
Townsend told the TAC that fares will be reintroduced in October. He said draft fare levels are in the $2 per fixed‑route trip range, with a daily cap and monthly and annual pass options; specialized community connector and dial‑a‑ride services will retain higher cost structures. He emphasized that reintroducing fares is intended to generate revenue to sustain and expand service, and to reduce high per‑trip costs on free paratransit trips.
Townsend and TAC members discussed operational and equity issues, including privacy and enforcement concerns associated with the pass system, the need to provide multiple signup paths for people without smartphones, and the potential for a modest ridership decline after fares are reinstated. Townsend said CET will conduct outreach, sign‑up events, and an autumn rider survey to gather data to inform future service decisions.
Townsend said CET lacks a permanent local tax base comparable to larger transit providers; reintroducing fares is part of a broader effort to reach a sustainable operating baseline and to provide better ridership and trip‑origin/destination data for planning.
