QuickTake:

Lane Transit District is planning an open house for Tuesday, Aug. 11. The event will provide the district feedback as it creates goals for a new long-term plan.

Lane Transit District is mapping out the next two decades of its priorities for transportation needs through 2045. 

Public participation is vital before the plan is finalized, the district says. The transit agency is seeking feedback on what it should prioritize — whether that involves specific improvements to individual bus routes or addressing limited transit options in outlying communities.

You can learn more about the plan and give feedback at an open house scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Springfield City Hall. 

Attendees can hear about the Connect 2045 project, learn about the region’s current transportation conditions and share ideas for the future. The input will shape how officials develop Connect 2045, which is LTD’s long-range mobility plan. 

To be sure, the plan is about more than simply where and when bus routes should run. The plan can take into account factors like University of Oregon events, business needs, healthcare and access to recreation destinations.

What’s more, Lane Transit District is involved in more than fixed-route buses in the Eugene-Springfield urban area. A rural shuttle pilot operates in south Lane County, Mohawk Valley and state Highway 36 between Deadwood and Mapleton. An on-demand shuttle service operates within Cottage Grove city limits. 

“One of the things that Connect 2045 will do is assess our service area to see where that type of service might be viable elsewhere, both within the metro area and then potentially outside of the metro area as well,” said Dave Roth, LTD’s senior director of mobility planning and policy. “That could be a service where a fixed-route, 40-foot bus or 60-foot bus might not make sense.  But maybe an on-demand service could be a good option for people.”

The transit district also is a partner in a regional PeaceHealth Rides bike share program that includes Eugene and the University of Oregon. 

Transit officials are looking ahead at how to make paying your fare easier. 

“This plan will help us move forward in some recommendations around updating our fare payment system to really make paying fares as easy as buying a cup of coffee,” Roth said. “You can go to any coffee shop now and tap to pay it with your phone, but you cannot do that right now on transit in Lane County. That’s the direction that we want to go.”

Initial planning meetings have offered insights into what transit officials are hearing from community members. A 19-member community advisory committee meeting in July outlined some high-level concepts and challenges. 

Among them: limited schedules in rural areas, few opportunities to travel to recreational sites, barriers for people with disabilities and limited evening and late-night services, meeting minutes show. 

Goals in the new plan will still need money to become a reality, and the work comes as Oregon’s transportation system is challenged. In the May 19 primary election, Oregon voters soundly rejected increases to the fuel and payroll taxes, along with vehicle registration and title fees that would have helped pay for the maintenance of roads and bridges and public transit services. 

The payroll tax for transit services would have doubled from 0.1% to 0.2%. All of that money goes toward transit services. 

The current rate is one-tenth of 1%. That amount requires a person who earns $50,000 annually to pay $4.17 a month, or about $50 a year. 

Oregon lawmakers plan to revisit the transportation funding issue in the 2027 legislative session.

Lane Transit District has budgeted $500,000 to develop its long-range plan with guidance from consulting firm Parametrix. 

How to attend the open house

The open house is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Springfield City Hall, 225 N. 5th St.

After the Aug. 11 event, the district will have more opportunities for people to offer input 

Additional meetings and open house events are planned for the months ahead, with a summary report and recommendations due in the summer of 2027.

You can learn more about the project at LTD.org/Connect2045 and take this community survey.

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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.