Cherriots

Salem-Keizer Transit provides transit and para-transit service to the Salem-Keizer area and Marion and Polk counties. All Salem-Keizer Transit services operate Monday through Friday. Cherriots provides fixed route bus service within Salem and Keizer with connections to Wilsonville and Grand Ronde. Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System (CARTS) provides service to rural communities in Marion and Polk counties including Woodburn, Silverton, the Santiam Canyon, Dallas and more. Other Salem-Keizer Transit services include CherryLift ADA service, travel training and rideshare information including carpool and vanpool matching. Salem Area Mass Transit District was formed in 1979, with the purpose of securing an ongoing funding base for the service. Prior to that time, Cherriots had been part of the City of Salem. In 2003, the organization changed its name to Salem-Keizer Transit to better reflect the population it serves. A Board of Directors was created at the time the District was formed. The new Board took over the direction of staffing and operation of Cherriots in July 1981. Several levies were passed by voters through the years to support the transit system. In May of 1986, the District passed its first tax base measure to provide permanent funding support for transit in the Salem and Keizer area. That funding base, intended to maintain service for 5 years, provided the resources to maintain service and provide very modest growth into the early 1990s. By 1994, the District needed new revenue if it was to grow and meet an increasing need for public transit service. In May 1996 the voters of the District approved a new property tax base after an unsuccessful payroll tax measure. The new tax base provided for a significant increase in services, including later evening service, several new routes, and park & ride services. As a result, ridership increased by 50% over the next four years. Cherriots ridership grew from 2.7 million trips in 1990 to over 4.3 million