Yamhill County commissioners on Oct. 30 directed transit staff to begin broad public outreach on a proposed low-fare policy and associated service adjustments, while continuing the fare-free pilot during the outreach period.

Transit manager Cynthia (first name used in presentation) told the board the advisory committee recommended the low-fare scenario after a multi-step review that included the county’s 2018 transit development plan, a 2023 fare-free report, vendor assessments and a Nelson
ygaard ridership/revenue analysis. “The committee’s recommendation was to conduct public outreach using the low-fare scenario,” Cynthia said, adding the board was asked to allow Yamhill County Transit to “move forward with broad-based public outreach” and to present a finalized low-fare option for later board action.

Why it matters: The county has operated fare-free service for several years during and after the pandemic. Reintroducing fares — even at low levels — could recover operating revenue but also reduce boardings and shift some users to different services; commissioners said they wanted public feedback before adopting policy changes.

Key details presented by staff
- Fare design: The proposed low-fare scenario includes a $2 local day ticket ($1 per one-way trip without a day ticket), $5 day ticket for out-of-county travel ($2.50 one-way), a $10 local monthly pass and differentiated dial‑a‑ride pricing (ADA day ticket $4; general public dial‑a‑ride $10 one-way). An out‑of‑county monthly pass was illustrated at $38; other pass levels were $75 for general public dial‑a‑ride and $38 for an ADA monthly pass.
- Revenue estimates: Nelson
ygaard modeling estimated the low-fare rollout could generate roughly $176,000 to $237,000 annually based on current ridership patterns. By contrast, pre‑COVID fare revenue in 2019 was about $258,000.
- Ridership impact: The consultant estimated an initial ridership decline of about 29% after fares return, with a likely rebound over 12–18 months.
- Implementation costs: An electronic fare collection system was evaluated; staff reported low-end one‑time estimates for an electronic/mobile and partial cash system at roughly $51,000 and a high-end estimate near $104,000 (figures from a 2023 analysis that staff said will be updated). One vendor option under consideration was a Cubic‑based mobile/QR solution.
- Operational detail: Staff said there are roughly 250 unique paratransit (Dial‑A‑Ride) users and that improved electronic fare collection would better capture unique rider counts for fixed routes.

Board direction and questions
Commissioners asked about per‑person subsidy and cost per ride. Cynthia presented two measures: dividing total system costs (including one‑time consultants and capital) by users produces an annual per‑person figure roughly $2,700 (about $224/month), while operating costs attributable to the contract operator were closer to $1,700 per person annually. Commissioners pressed for clarity on dial‑a‑ride demand, possible tourist or nonmedical misuse of door‑to‑door services, and city contributions to the system’s local match.

Committee view
Brandon Troughs, present from the City of Lafayette and a member of the advisory committee, said committee members generally supported easing into fares rather than immediately reverting to a higher pre‑COVID schedule. “It’s gonna be hard to get everybody back on track to paying the full fare,” he said, arguing a low‑fare approach could smooth the transition for users used to five years of free service.

Next steps
Commissioners agreed (voice consensus) to allow transit staff to finalize a public outreach plan and to bring the outreach plan and detailed service adjustments back for further board review. Staff said outreach will include surveys, focus groups and stakeholder meetings and that an updated cost estimate for electronic fare collection will be provided.

Context
Yamhill County’s total transit operating budget is roughly $4–5 million annually; local matching contributions, state and federal grants and partner city support cover most of that. Staff noted capital investments (new buses on order) and the county’s interest in balancing affordability for low‑income riders with revenue recovery to sustain service.

Quoted
“The committee’s recommendation was to conduct public outreach using the low-fare scenario,” Cynthia said. Brandon Troughs said the low-fare option “is a way to track and ease people back into paying” after an extended fare‑free period.

What’s next: staff will finalize the outreach plan, update cost estimates for electronic fare systems, and return to the board with outreach results and a final fare recommendation for action.