Contact: Lillie Gipson, transp.mgr.
Address: 277 Strand Street, P. O. Box 141, St. Helens, OR 97051
Telephone: 503/397-4000
Fax: 503/397-2650
E-mail: cccsc@columbia-center.org
Hours: 8a - 5p M - F
Special Trips by appointment
Behind the scenes look at developments
and plans in regional transportation
While the numbers of passengers sitting in the seats aboard
buses in the North Coast may not be staggering, the amount of
planning and work going on behind the scenes is pretty impressive.
People are working long and hard hours to improve the status of
public transit in our remote corner of the globe. In fact, there
is SO much going on that it is impossible to capture it all in
our magazine. Here we will include mere glimpses of happenings
with transportation districts in Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook
counties.
Columbia County
As far as coastal transportation districts are concerned, the
one operating in Columbia County is the grandaddy of them all
for two reasons. The first is that it is the oldest operating
of our coastal systems, the second is that it was originally formed
to accommodate only seniors.
According to recently-promoted (March 1) transportation manager
Lillie Gipson, the Columbia County Council of Senior Citizens
first became involved in the transportation business in October,
1969. When they began they had one station wagon, which was available
on a per-call basis. The service was only available to seniors
at that time. Now the system has 12 buses and 8 vans, all wheelchair
accessible via ramps or lifts, and the service is available to
anyone in the community. The cost to ride from the senior center
in either St. Helens or Scappoose into the downtown Portland bus
depot at 5th and Hoyt is $2.50 per trip. The Portland route had
been tried before without success. Reinstating the route February
1, 2000 resulted in 50 riders that month. The majority of the
routes and ridership are Dial-a-Ride in format and the system
accommodated 50,000 riders last year, including regular pickups
for more than 250 school children in St. Helens and Scappoose
Columbia Co. Council of Senior Citizens, Inc.
Contact: Lillie Gipson, transp.mgr.
Address: 277 Strand Street, P. O. Box 141, St. Helens, OR 97051
Telephone: 503/397-4000
Fax: 503/397-2650
E-mail: cccsc@columbia-center.org
Hours: 8a - 5p M - F
Special Trips by appointment
Clatsop County
Sunset Empire Transportation District began taking on its current
shape as the result of a transportation grant in 1993. It began
with a subcontracted director, two buses and three employees.
Today the system operates 13 buses and 23 employees, with Cindy
Howe as full-time director.
Top on their list of priorities for 2000-2001 is the development
of an intermodal center in Astoria. With a March 31, closing date
on the property for the $2.5 million project, an operation and
construction plan are the next steps. The intermodal center will
come a central dispatching plan to coordinate transportation entities
from buses to taxis and ambulances within the county and beyond.
While planning progresses on the intermodal center, SETD is implementing
new services to interconnect with both Columbia County in St.
Helens and with Tillamook County with a stop in Manzanita.
Sunset Empire Transportation District
Contact: Cindy Howe, director
Address: 465 NE Skipanon Drive
Warrenton, Oregon 97146
Telephone:503/861-7433
Fax: 503/861-4299
E-mail: howe@seasurf.net
Hours: 6a - 7p, M - Sat
Dial-a-ride 8a - 5p, M - F
Tillamook
County
County-specific public transportation started in September, 1995
with two buses. Last year a property tax levy passed to provide
a major portion of funding for the district which recently implemented
Dial-a-Ride services and now will have five buses and three mini-vans.
New general manager (May 17, 1999) Heather Ornelas is working
hard to develop new routes and rider-friendly schedules/pricing
tables (May 1), plus covered bus stops and Clatsop County connections
in Manzanita. LCB
Tillamook Co. Transportation Dist.
Contact: Heather Ornelas, gen. mgr.
Address: P. O. Box 188, Tillamook
Oregon 97141
Telephone: 503/815-8283
Fax: 503/503/815-8005
Toll Free: 800/815-8283
E-mail: thewave@pacifier.com
Hours: 6a - 7p M - Sat
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