Cherriots (the Salem Area Mass Transit District) representatives briefed the Stayton City Council on the agency’s regional services and local connections, saying the system includes eight regional routes and several vanpool offerings that link smaller towns in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties to Salem.

Cherriots board president Maria Preci introduced the presentation and transit planner Jolin Franke walked councilors through a four-slide summary. Franks said Route 30X, the Stayton–Salem express, made 12,248 rides in fiscal year 2025 and that roughly 25% of those trips originated in Stayton. “So our regional service is comprised of 8 routes that serve 19 different towns,” Franks said during the briefing.

Franke and other staff described how Cherriots classifies service changes: minor changes occur three times a year (January, May and September) to improve on-time performance or handle detours; major changes are governed by Cherriots Policy 707 and are defined as an increase or decrease of 15% or more in service miles, span or frequency and require a Title VI analysis, board approval and public hearings.

The agency also outlined its vanpool program, which organizes shared commutes of 5–15 riders and provides subsidies funded by federal surface transportation block grants. Cherriots said it offers up to 50% of a vanpool’s operating costs; remaining costs are paid by employers and/or riders. Staff said most vanpools use seven-passenger vans but that larger vans (9, 12 or 15 seats) can be arranged when demand warrants. Cherriots also noted a partnership with Enterprise to handle vehicle maintenance and fueling for vanpools.

Councilors asked whether the Route 30X ridership number included vanpool trips; staff clarified that the 12,248 figure refers specifically to Route 30X bus boardings. Councilor Sims raised a local concern after the closure of an ODOT parking lot at Cascade Highway and Highway 22 that removed a bus stop; Cherriots said it removed the stop because of the short timeline and will evaluate options as part of a comprehensive operational analysis this spring.

Cherriots said the regional routes rely on a mix of federal and state pass-through grant dollars and on local payroll-tax funds that help fund statewide transit projects. The agency encouraged Stayton staff and councilors to help with outreach during the spring service-review process.

The council did not take action on any service changes at the meeting; Cherriots’ representatives said any major change would come back to the Cherriots board and through a public input process.