(Photo above: CET transit bus | courtesy of Red Cap Design)
This week Andrew Spreadborough, executive director of Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, will be joined by a group of partners that came together to identify priorities for expanding Cascades East Transit (CET) services in Bend and have agreed to work collaboratively to implement the expansion.
Partners include Amy Tykeson, former owner of Bend Broadband and local business leader; Deschutes County Commissioner Tammy Baney; Jason Carr, COIC board chair; Bend City Manager Eric King; Jim Kirkbride, assistant VP of support and ancillary services at St. Charles Health System; Shirley Metcalf, president of Central Oregon Community College; Tim Casey, executive director of the Bend Chamber of Commerce and Becky Johnson, vice president of OSU-Cascades.
The partnership was formed by Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, City of Bend, St. Charles Health System, OSU-Cascades, Deschutes County, Oregon Department of Transportation and Central Oregon Community College to further develop transit service in Bend.
Research conducted by Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization and input from Bend residents identified community needs for expanded service on Cascades East Transit in Bend including longer hours of operation, increased frequency of buses and more routes to provide access to key destinations.
In late 2014 the City of Bend, St. Charles Health System, OSU-Cascades, COCC, Bend MPO, Bend Parks and Rec, Deschutes County and Bend Chamber of Commerce began meeting to discuss ways to meet community needs for a Bend transit expansion. A unique public-private partnership was formed to pool resources to expand transit service in Bend.
Partners are presenting their commitments to transit service in Bend and their visionary approach to meeting community needs.
