Morrow County transit reports rising ridership, planned route changes and donated shelters
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Summary
Transit staff reported a rise in ridership due in part to a summer youth program, described demand-response staffing constraints and proposed route-frequency changes for January; the Port of Morrow donated eight bus shelters to the county.
Morrow County transit manager Steven (last name not specified) briefed commissioners on a “good quarter” for ridership and on operational changes.
Steven said ridership grew in part because a summer program transported youth to the Hermiston pool; July recorded nearly 1,000 rides tied to that programming. Demand-response service is steady but was constrained earlier in the quarter by two staff vacancies; the service has since added one full- and one part-time employee and still has one part-time position open.
The nut graf: To increase efficiency and better match demand, staff plan a January route change that separates the north and south county loops and concentrates the routes around Hermiston as the hub instead of routing direct north–south trips that carry no riders; that reconfiguration would add frequency where ridership is highest.
Steven said one day this week the system carried 25 demand-response rides in a single van, showing capacity demand, and that the service won a scholarship to attend the Oregon Transportation Conference. He also said the Port of Morrow donated eight bus shelters; the county and port will coordinate installation sites and groundwork so shelters are sited strategically where stops are stable.
Ending: Transit staff will continue outreach and finalize route modifications and shelter placement in coordination with the Port of Morrow and city partners.