Come Jan. 2, Hermiston residents will have a new way to get from Point A to Point B when the city begins its bus service for all residents.
The Hermiston City Council approved a contract with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) to provide bus service during the day Monday through Friday.
And what’s more, the service will be free to all riders – at least for now.
The plan calls for a single bus to make up to six loops throughout the city during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Hermiston Public Transit Advisory Committee, in coming up with the route and the various bus stops, aims to have a bus stop within a quarter mile of nearly every resident in the city, making it easier for residents to get to the stops. The bus will make its way around the proposed route at least once per hour.
Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan said the route will take riders to multiple spots throughout the city, making sure to stop at what has been identified as the most popular destinations for would-be riders – grocery stores and medical facilities.
The service will cost the city $250,000 per year, but Morgan said the city expects to receive a federal grant of $125,000 to offset the cost. If, however, the grant does not come through, the city still intends to keep the bus service running throughout 2017. JD Tovey, planning director for CTUIR, said he “can’t imagine” why the bus service would not be approved for the grant since Pendleton has received similar grants in the past.
Morgan said the city should find out if it receives the grant by spring. He said it makes sense to establish the service before applying for the grant because the grants tend to favor existing services rather than proposed services.
Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann asked why it wouldn’t make fiscal sense to charge for the service. Tovey said CTUIR is heavily subsidized by federal grants and any additional revenue brought in by CTUIR would be counted against its grant money. He added, however, that if ridership reaches 250,000 per year, it may make sense to begin charging for the rides. Currently, CTUIR has about 80,000 riders per year and Tovey said with additional riders in Hermiston beginning next year, the total ridership will still be well under 250,000 annually.
Morgan said the stops along the route may be adjusted if need be. Information about where stops will be located along the route will be posted on the CTUIR website along with a link on the city’s website.
“This is something that’s been needed for years,” said Hermiston City Councilor Rod Hardin.
