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This measure would authorize a local option tax of 60-cents per $1,000 of assessed value. These funds would be added to the District’s existing revenues, including its 1996 tax base, Federal and State funds, fare revenues, and miscellaneous revenues, to continue existing bus service and add new services. On its current budget, Cherriots carries 5 1/2 million trips a year in the Salem/Keizer area, and that number has been growing at an average of 6.3% per year for the past decade. Ridership among disabled riders has grown at a 17% rate over the past five years, and the cost of providing federally-required Americans with Disabilities Act service have increased similarly. This measure is intended to maintain current transit services, maintain paratransit service for disabled persons, and add certain new services to provide capacity for increased ridership.

About 21,000 trips are made on Cherriots on a weekday. This measure would provide stable local funding of the current level of transit service for the next five years.

This measure would provide funds to offer Sunday bus service in Salem and Keizer. The service would be similar to Saturdays, but would operate a slightly shorter day, approximately 8 am to 7 pm. Sunday service would start in January 2007. CherryLift services would also be provided, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act for persons with disabilities.

Some of the area’s most heavily-congested streets—including parts of Mission St./Highway 22 and State St.—would receive more frequent service, with buses running every 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon peak periods.

This measure would provide match funds with which to seek Federal transportation grants to build two small transit centers in Salem and Keizer. Development of the centers would enable the District to utilize small, neighborhood-friendly buses in many areas outside the downtown core.

Funds from this measure would be allotted to purchase and install five new bus shelters each year, for placement in areas experiencing the heaviest ridership. There would also be funds programmed to increase the cleaning and maintenance of the existing 130 bus shelters and 1300 bus stops in the District.

Without passage of this measure, Cherriots would not be able to continue the current level of service in the Salem-Keizer area with existing funding. Service reductions of about 20%, which could include elimination of some routes, reduction in frequency, and reduction or elimination of Saturday bus service, would be scheduled to begin in September 2006.