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As the City of Bend prepares to update its Transportation System Plan and go to ballot in May 2020 with a transportation bond of $250-300 million, transit system operations and facility needs have not yet been adequately integrated into Bend’s overall transportation system planning and funding considerations.
The safety analysis of Hawthorne Station — the hub of Cascades East Transit’s “hub and spoke” system — and legal cover letter demonstrate that existing facilities are not safe, at capacity and unable to support growth of the Bend transit system.
Bend’s transit system is in need of additional planning focus and substantial capital investment to reduce traffic congestion; provide essential transportation services to residents who cannot drive, bike or walk at distance; support intended land-use patterns; reduce the impacts of Bend visitors; promote economic development and higher education; and bolster climate change-related initiatives.
Please review the above links to learn more about how a thoughtfully planned and well-designed transit system, including necessary facilities, is an essential component of a modern, multimodal and equitable City of Bend Transportation System Plan and should be further supported within current and near-term planning and funding processes.
For more information, contact Erin Foote Morgan, Bend Director, Hubbell Communications, 541-420-8603 or erin@thinkhubbell.com.
To view the City of Bend Transportation System Plan, please click here: bendoregon.gov/city-projects/transportation-system-plan.
