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LTD Ridership Eclipses 10 Million! - Oct. 24, 2007
Free Services Help Families with School Transportation - Sep. 25, 2007

LTD Ridership Eclipses 10 Million!
Oct. 24, 2007  |  Commuter Solutions: Lane Transit District

10,027,298 boardings! For the first time in Lane Transit District’s history, over 10 million annual passenger boardings have been recorded. From October 2006 through September 2007, District ridership increased over 6 percent. In September 2007, LTD buses recorded 802,059 boardings, the highest one-month total ever!

Over the past three years, LTD’s annual boardings have increased approximately 25 percent! Here are a few reasons for this robust ridership growth:

• Expansion of LTD’s group bus pass programs. More and more businesses are providing passes to their employees, but the big additions have included Lane Community College (full-time students at the main campus) and the Student Transit Pass Program that includes all middle and high school students.
• Rising fuel prices. A few short years ago, the price per gallon was half of what it is today. Those days are gone, and many are feeling the affect on the family budget. The cost of operating one or more automobiles can add up quickly, so some families are finding the public transit alternative is a better choice.
• LTD EmX service continues to attract riders. Following strong ridership out of the gate, EmX ridership continues to grow. In late September, the one millionth passenger boarded an EmX vehicle. On October 1, the single highest ridership day on EmX was recorded: 5,528 passenger boardings.

The bus isn’t the only transportation alternative that is attracting interest. Vanpooling in the region is growing, and locally new vanpools will connect Cottage Grove/Creswell commuters to the RiverBend Annex Building on International Way. Commuters will enjoy savings in commuting costs while enjoying the company of their coworkers on their ride to work. Vanpools also are available to and from Salem and Corvallis, and requests for new vanpools are received weekly. So don’t hesitate to contact Commuter Solutions to find out how you can start sharing the ride!

Whether it’s taking the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, walking, or riding your bike, Lane Transit District and Commuter Solutions are here to help you beat the high cost of commuting. Call today for information on the variety of transportation choices available. For more information, visit LTD’s website at www.ltd.org or call LTD at 687-5555 (1-800-735-2900 TTY-Oregon Relay).

Free Services Help Families with School Transportation
Sep. 25, 2007  |  Commuter Solutions: Lane Transit District

Parents looking for convenient and safe ways for their kids to travel to and from school can try the free services offered by Smart Ways to School. This program can help K-12 families form carpools, organize groups for students to walk or bike to school together, or get free Lane Transit District (LTD) bus passes for students in grades 6-12.

Carpool: SchoolPool, a carpool match service, provides registered parents with a contact list of other registered families whose students attend the same school and live nearby. Information is confidential and shared only with matching registered families. Register online at www.swts.ltd.org or call 682-6212.

Walk or Bike in Groups: Smart Ways to School assists parents interested in forming walking or bicycling groups by sending customized mailings to students’ families in their neighborhood. Interested families can connect to organize their travel group. Parent volunteers may accompany students if an adult guide is appropriate. Call 682-6212 for assistance.

Free LTD Bus Passes: Students enrolled in grades 6-12 at public and private schools in the LTD service area can ride LTD for free during the school year. This innovative program is provided through the partnership of Commuter Solutions, LTD, and the Oregon Department of Energy. Students can obtain their free LTD bus pass from their school.

Smart Ways to School is a service provided by Commuter Solutions, the region’s transportation options program. It began four years ago as a research project funded by the Oregon Department of Energy, and expanded during the 2005-06 school year to serve all local K-12 public and private schools in the Eugene-Springfield area and nearby rural communities. Other program partners include the Eugene 4J, Springfield, and Bethel school districts; the cities of Eugene and Springfield; Lane Council of Governments; Lane County; Lane Regional Air Protection Agency; and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

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Commuter Solutions promotes and offers transportation options programs to Lane County businesses, organizations, and educational institutions for their employees, staff, and students. It is supported by Lane County’s jurisdictions and is housed at Lane Transit District. Partners include the City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane Council of Governments, Lane County, and Lane Transit District.

Contact: Lisa VanWinkle: (541) 682-6212, Connie Bloom Williams (541) 682-6132.