QuickTake:

The new free transit service between McMinnville and Eugene has stops that include Rickreall, Amity, Monmouth, Corvallis, Monroe, and Junction City.

Yamhill County Transit and Benton County Transit have launched a pilot project that offers more connections throughout the Willamette Valley, including Eugene.

The project, called 99 Vine, provides public transit service between the northern and southern portions of the Willamette Valley along Highway 99.

The transit route, which charges no fares, runs between McMinnville and Eugene. The service started Monday, Nov. 24.

The service has stops that include Rickreall, Amity, Monmouth, Corvallis, Monroe, Junction City and, in Eugene, at the Amtrak station and the University of Oregon. The service also offers a connection to the Eugene Airport.

The project is limited-duration and funded through June, meaning that officials will need to find other funding if they want to continue it beyond then. The portion of the service operating from Eugene to Junction City—including all Eugene Airport stops—is entirely funded by Pacific Crest Bus Lines’ philanthropic projects and Oregon Department of Transportation funding. The remaining segments of the pilot are supported through state and federal grants. 

Yamhill and Benton counties hired Pacific Crest Bus Lines to operate the service through a procurement process.

The project intersects with Lane Transit District’s system, which makes connections to locations throughout the county. More information about route schedules and stops is available here.

The project emerged after the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments completed a transit corridor study with input from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Lane Transit District, and transportation officials from Benton, Marion and Yamhill counties. 

In the last few years, the work faced delays, including funding and staffing challenges as well as pandemic-related supply-chain issues that resulted in the cancellation of bus orders for the project.

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that philanthropic funds in addition to other sources are also used for the routes.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.