Cherriots, officially the Salem Area Mass Transit District, is a public transit operator based in Salem, Oregon, United States.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,398 |
14 Facts About Cherriots
2.
Cherriots folded in August 1958 and declared bankruptcy in January 1959.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,399 |
3.
Cherriots buses served Keizer and Four Corners until service was suspended by the Salem City Council in July 1976; by October, the two areas established voter-approved contracts for a private operator to run bus services that connected to the Cherriots network.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,400 |
4.
The existing Cherriots system was saved from proposed cuts after the approval of a two-year levy by Salem residents in May 1978.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,401 |
5.
The current headquarters and operating base for Cherriots, located on Del Webb Avenue in Salem, was dedicated in April 1989 by Senator Mark Hatfield and Governor Neil Goldschmidt.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,402 |
6.
Cherriots maintained its level of service by using capital reserve funds to fund daily operations, while planning for potential cuts to service.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,403 |
7.
The state legislature passed a two-year rollback of the state's cap on matching funds from the transit payroll tax in 1993, allowing Cherriots to avoid service cuts while presenting a funding plan to voters.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,404 |
8.
Two attempts at establishing a larger funding base for Cherriots service were rejected by voters in 1993 and 1994, leading to the discontinuation of free services and increased fares.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,405 |
9.
In 2009, Cherriots routes underwent major changes due to funding limitations.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,406 |
10.
In 2015, Cherriots started a "Moving Forward" plan which made new routes, including consolidations to achieve frequent service.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,407 |
11.
In September 2019, thanks to HB 2017 funding, Cherriots restored Saturday bus service and added bus routes that operate later in the evening.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,408 |
12.
Cherriots operates 20 local bus routes in Salem and Keizer, as well as six routes under the Cherriots Regional brand serving outlying areas in Marion and Polk counties.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,409 |
13.
Cherriots added Sunday service as part of their rebranding on September 5th, 2021.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,410 |
14.
Cherriots maintains a fleet of 64 buses for its regular services, alongside 46 LIFT vehicles and 12 Regional buses.
| FactSnippet No. 1,619,411 |