Yamhill County to seek public input on low-fare transit option; fare-free pilot to continue during outreach

Yamhill County commissioners on Oct. 30 directed transit staff to begin broad public outreach on a proposed low-fare policy and associated service adjustments, while continuing the fare-free pilot during the outreach period.

Transit manager Cynthia (first name used in presentation) told the board the advisory committee recommended the low-fare scenario after a multi-step review that included the county’s 2018 transit development plan, a 2023 fare-free report, vendor assessments and a Nelson ygaard ridership/revenue analysis. “The committee’s recommendation was to conduct public outreach using the low-fare scenario,” Cynthia said, adding the board was asked to allow Yamhill County Transit to “move forward with broad-based public outreach” and to present a finalized low-fare option for later board action.

Why it matters: The county has operated fare-free service for several years during and after the pandemic. Reintroducing fares — even at low levels — could recover operating revenue but also reduce boardings and shift some users to different services; commissioners said they wanted public feedback before adopting policy changes.

Key details presented by…