Cherriots

Salem-Keizer Transit provides transit and para-transit service to the Salem-Keizer area and Marion and Polk counties. All Salem-Keizer Transit services operate Monday through Friday. Cherriots provides fixed route bus service within Salem and Keizer with connections to Wilsonville and Grand Ronde. Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System (CARTS) provides service to rural communities in Marion and Polk counties including Woodburn, Silverton, the Santiam Canyon, Dallas and more. Other Salem-Keizer Transit services include CherryLift ADA service, travel training and rideshare information including carpool and vanpool matching. Salem Area Mass Transit District was formed in 1979, with the purpose of securing an ongoing funding base for the service. Prior to that time, Cherriots had been part of the City of Salem. In 2003, the organization changed its name to Salem-Keizer Transit to better reflect the population it serves. A Board of Directors was created at the time the District was formed. The new Board took over the direction of staffing and operation of Cherriots in July 1981. Several levies were passed by voters through the years to support the transit system. In May of 1986, the District passed its first tax base measure to provide permanent funding support for transit in the Salem and Keizer area. That funding base, intended to maintain service for 5 years, provided the resources to maintain service and provide very modest growth into the early 1990's. By 1994, the District needed new revenue if it was to grow and meet an increasing need for public transit service. In May 1996 the voters of the District approved a new property tax base after an unsuccessful payroll tax measure. The new tax base provided for a significant increase in services, including later evening service, several new routes, and park & ride services. As a result, ridership increased by 50% over the next four years. Cherriots ridership grew from 2.7 million trips in 1990 to over 4.3 million in 2000. In 2003, Cherriots carried over 5 million riders. In 2006, Salem-Keizer Transit needed an increase in the tax base to cover the increasing cost of operations. After tax levies were voted down in 2006 and 2008, it was necessary to eliminate Saturday service and redesign bus service in order to stay within budget. With extensive public input, Salem-Keizer Transit created a plan to address the community's highest priorities - more options, faster times, and flexible schedules - within the current budget limitations. The Salem-Keizer Transit Board approved the new plan and it was implemented September 8, 2009. Today's seven-member Board provides the policy direction for transit operations serving more than 225,000 residents in Salem and Keizer. In 2011, Salem-Keizer Transit adopted a new strategic plan to maintain the services now offered by Cherriots and identify the resources for the continued improvement of public transit services in the future.