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Transportation funding is a top priority in Salem this session. The current plan, however, is short-sighted and would further strand 50% of Lane County households.
Forty-seven percent of households here struggle to make ends meet, according to United Way of Lane County’s 2024 ALICE Report. That’s 75,317 households with two adults and two children. This number of people experiencing financial insecurity increased by nearly 2,000 from 2023.
An ALICE household is Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed or individuals and families who work, but struggle to pay for basic necessities. Take housing, food and transportation – these three basics take up almost 40% of household income in Lane County. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room in a family budget.
Both Eugene and Springfield have neighborhood bus routes and robust bike networks, making a car-free lifestyle possible. What about people who live in unincorporated areas or smaller towns like Deadwood and Cottage Grove? Money from Statewide Transportation Improvement Funds supports the development of critical programs that increase access for Lane County’s rural residents.
According to the plan currently being considered by the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation, STIF would be woefully underfunded. This ignores the reality of rapidly rising costs and effectively cuts off this essential access for Lane County residents who fall within ALICE criteria. Even worse, it prevents the development of new transit opportunities because transit services would be too busy dropping routes and cutting jobs.
Lane Transit District and Lane Council of Governments manage, alongside other partners, a myriad of mobility services in rural Lane County. Because we’re in the transit business, we know the solution isn’t always a 40-foot bus. LTD and LCOG design services that meet the varied needs of our communities, while maximizing value to the taxpayer.
Some current examples:
In Cottage Grove, 47% of residents fall within ALICE criteria. A STIF-funded service, operated by South Lane Wheels, connects Cottage Grove residents for $1 per ride to work, school, shopping and medical appointments. The unsubsidized cost per ride? $23.19. A quick search on Lyft’s app shows a 1.6-mile ride from Cottage Grove’s Walmart to an area medical provider would cost $28 and this doesn’t consider a rider with a mobility device or without a smartphone.
SLW’s service is fully accessible and rides can be scheduled over the phone with a human dispatcher.
In Florence, 48% of residents fall within ALICE criteria. Rhody Express ridership increased by 114% in the second half of 2024. From July through December 2023, Rhody provided 3,136 rides. During the same six-month period in 2024, the number of rides more than doubled to 6,719 because STIF money supported increased frequency on Rhody. Riders are charged $1 per ride. The unsubsidized cost per ride? $29.93.
Additionally, people can connect to Eugene via Rhody and the Link Lane bus service between Florence and Eugene. These affordable public transit services work collaboratively to allow people to explore the coast or southern Willamette Valley, and connect to the metro area.
Some people live rurally by choice and are now faced with the prospect of aging in place, possibly without a driver’s license or adult children nearby. Some people live rurally because the rising costs of homeownership pushed them out of metropolitan areas.
Rural transit services can be a tough sell. They’re highly beneficial to the public but are significantly more expensive because of the longer distances traveled. They require more subsidies than routes in denser areas such as Eugene/Springfield, Salem and Portland.
Rural transit services, however, are considered a lifeline service by their riders. Without access to affordable and reliable transit, quality of life for these residents deteriorates quickly.
Lost are essential connections to healthcare, education and work. Plus, there are the less tangible but real health benefits of aging in place or growing food.
Remember that 2024 ALICE report? Saving an ALICE household money on transit significantly increases that critical wiggle room in a family budget. We all know someone in an ALICE household – they are our local grocery store cashier, waiter, barista, personal care aide, childcare provider. They make up the foundation of our daily lives.
Public transit has always done more with less. Want to save money? We can — without slashing service or hiking fares. But without stable funding, we can’t meet the surge in demand as driving gets costlier and more Oregonians turn to transit.
STIF has expanded lifeline services in rural Lane County. Pulling back now doesn’t just stall progress — it abandons rural communities, punishes working families and leaves Oregonians stranded.
Brenda Moore is the executive director of Lane Council of Governments, a voluntary organization of local governments. Jameson Auten is the chief executive officer of Lane Transit District.
