Rogue Valley Transportation District
Encyclopedia
Rogue Valley Transportation District is a transportation district
serving the greater Jackson County
area. The district serves the cities of Medford
, Ashland
, White City
, Phoenix
, Talent
, Jacksonville
, and Central Point
. The district also provides paratransit
services to older adults and people with disabilities within its route coverage area.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) was established May 6, 1975 upon the passing of a special election measure allowing the county to establish a transportation district funded by Oregon tax dollars. Two years later after considerable planning and procurement of funding, the first transit buses took the streets of Medford, with service beginning in July 1977.
1. Some individuals may be required to furnish proof of age or a valid Valley Lift ID.
2. Fare is only valid on Route 10 and Route 15 between Jackson WellSprings and Tolman Creek Rd.
3. Transfers may be used any number of times within the 90-minute timeframe. People holding transfers which have been modified or mutilated in any way may be required to pay a second fare.
1. Usage of one boarding with the noted methods entitles the user to a free 90-minute bus transfer, valid on all buses.
2. Only valid for the groups mentioned, two passes cannot be combined. Some individuals may be required to furnish proof of age or a valid Valley Lift ID.
1. Fare is only valid in the Route 10 and Route 15 service area between Jackson WellSprings and Tolman Creek Rd.
Rogue Valley Transportation District operates a fleet of 23 buses, 3 paratransit buses, as well as a myriad of paratransit vans. Roughly 65% of the current transit bus fleet is powered by cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (abbreviated CNG
) engines. RVTD was among the first transportation districts in the state of Oregon to operate a majority CNG fleet, originally acquiring their first prototype buses, the Blue Bird Xcel from Blue Bird Corporation, in 1994.
Today RVTD has phased out the Blue Bird CNG vehicles in favor of the 35 foot natural gas coach manufactured by New Flyer Industries. These newer buses provide for greater fuel capacity of 3600 psi compared to their predecessors 3000 psi limit (allowing greater range on one fill-up), provide space for more passengers (65 seated and standees compared to 50 seated and standees), a low floor design with fully automated wheelchair ramp (compared to the partially automated wheelchair lift), easier passenger boarding and deboarding, as well as a more powerful engine.
In addition to their natural gas buses, the Rogue Valley Transportation District also operates diesel transit coaches in efforts to diversify their fuel usage. This has several key advantages including switching over to primarily diesel usage in the event of a natural gas price hike or vice versa. RVTD runs the diesel Newflyer
coach and the Gillig Phantom
transit bus exclusively, however that may change as future fleet acquisitions occur. Previously in district history the entire fleet consisted of the New Look with a blue, yellow, and white paint scheme but the coaches have since been phased out.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilites Act of 1990 all RVTD buses feature some form of wheelchair ramp or lift as well as securement methods for the chairs themselves. The design in all buses allows a maximum of two wheelchairs to be secured safely in the bus at any given time. Currently there is no automated time point stop announcement system on the buses; they are called out by the operator instead. This is set to change though as the district is in the process of requesting proposals for the installation of such a system throughout all the buses(system is currently installed and under testing).
(TDM) program. Primarily funded by Region 3 of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the TDM program uses various techniques to promote alternatives to driving alone. Among these techniques are a group bus pass program, bicycle and pedestrian encouragement and education activities, carpool matching, transit marketing, and outreach to local government jurisdictions.
Transit district
A transit district or transit authority is a special-purpose district organized as either a corporation chartered by statute, or a government agency, created for the purpose of providing public transportation within a specific region....
serving the greater Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
area. The district serves the cities of Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, White City
White City, Oregon
White City is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined White City as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Oregon
Phoenix is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,060 at the 2000 census and has grown to 4,855 people as of July 1, 2009.-History:...
, Talent
Talent, Oregon
Talent is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2000 census and 6,680 as of July 1, 2009.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
, and Central Point
Central Point, Oregon
Central Point is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 17,165 as of July 1, 2009 The city shares its southern border with Medford and is a part of the Medford metropolitan area...
. The district also provides paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
services to older adults and people with disabilities within its route coverage area.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) was established May 6, 1975 upon the passing of a special election measure allowing the county to establish a transportation district funded by Oregon tax dollars. Two years later after considerable planning and procurement of funding, the first transit buses took the streets of Medford, with service beginning in July 1977.
History
The impetus for creating RVTD arose from the failure of its predecessor, a private company named Mount Ashland Stage Lines, which had provided bus service in the Rogue Valley from 1965 until 1974, when it went bankrupt and ceased operating. Area voters approved the creation of a new public transit district in 1975, but funding for operations was not included, and subsequent requests for authorization of a property-tax increase to fund the service were rejected at the ballot box. The district's board scaled back the original plans by about 35 percent before finally gaining voter approval of operations funding. The service that was inaugurated in July 1977, initially operating under the name, Rogue Rapids Transit, comprised just three buses serving six routes. Initial ridership on the fledging system was better than expected, prompting the city of Medford to agree to purchase three vans for RVTD's use, which were used for a new shuttle service in the downtown area starting in November 1977. The district's bus fleet has since grown to 23 vehicles.Service Information
RVTD currently operates eight bus routes through the cities of Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent and White City with aspirations to add more in the coming future. All buses run Monday through Friday. There is currently no weekend service. All bus routes begin and terminate at the central transfer station located at Front Street between 4th and 6th Street.Bus Routes
- Route 1 Biddle Road / Airport - Serves Biddle Rd, Royal Ave, the Medford Shopping Center, the Oregon DMV, Poplar Square and the Rogue Valley International AirportRogue Valley International-Medford AirportRogue Valley International-Medford Airport is a public airport located 3 miles north of downtown Medford in Jackson County, Oregon, USA. In addition to Jackson County, the airport serves seven nearby counties in southwest Oregon. It is owned and operated by Jackson County's Aviation Authority...
. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:30 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every hour. - Route 2 West Medford - Serves the West Medford area including Oakdale, Columbus, and Stewart avenues as well as a small stretch of Jacksonville Highway. Major businesses and locations served by this route include Bi-MartBi-Mart- External links :**, a December 2004 article from The Oregonian...
, Black Bird, Medford City Hall, the City of Medford Police Station, the Jackson County Courthouse, Sherm's Thunderbird, and Albertson's Shopping Center. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes. - Route 10 Ashland - Serves the cities of Medford, Phoenix, Talent, and Ashland including but not limited to the South Gateway Shopping Center, the Harry and David Country Village, Bear Creek Operations Inc. (aka. Harry and David Operations Inc.), Ray's Food Place, the Ashland Plaza / Lithia ParkLithia ParkLithia Park is the largest and most central park of Ashland, Oregon. It consists of of forested canyonland around Ashland Creek, stretching from the downtown plaza up toward its headwaters near Mount Ashland...
, Southern Oregon UniversitySouthern Oregon Universityis a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...
, as well as countless other businesses throughout the four cities. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 5:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM. Buses depart every half hour until 7:00 AM, when they begin departing every 20 minutes until 5:00 PM. After 5:00 PM, buses again depart every half hour until the final bus at 6:30 PM. - Route 15 Ashland Loop (Discontinued in September 2011, and formerly known as Route 5) - Serves the greater Ashland area including Tolman Creek Rd, Siskiyou Blvd, Highway 66, the Ashland Plaza / Lithia ParkLithia ParkLithia Park is the largest and most central park of Ashland, Oregon. It consists of of forested canyonland around Ashland Creek, stretching from the downtown plaza up toward its headwaters near Mount Ashland...
, and Southern Oregon UniversitySouthern Oregon Universityis a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...
. The first bus leaves from Tolman Creek and Ashland Street at 7:30 AM and the last bus leaves at 5:00 PM with service operating every thirty minutes. This route serves in conjunction with Route 10 to bring the base service frequency in the Ashland city area to approximately every 15 minutes. - Route 24 Rogue Valley Medical Center (formerly known as Route 4) - Serves Barnett road and S. Central/Riverside in Medford, including WinCo FoodsWinCo FoodsWinCo Foods is an employee-owned supermarket business headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company's name was decided by the employees both in the stores and the distribution centers in a contest to rename the company, settling on "WinCo," for the five states in which the company operates its...
, the Rogue Valley Medical CenterRogue Valley Medical CenterRogue Valley Medical Center, or RVMC, is a regional medical center located in Medford, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1958, and currently has 378 beds. It is one of two hospitals in Medford, the other being Providence Medford Medical Center...
(RVMC), as well as several businesses, medical offices, and residences surrounding the southeast Medford area. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:00 AM, the last bus leaving at 6:00 PM with service once every hour. - Route 30 Jacksonville - Serves the city of Jacksonville and the East Medford Area via Jackson St. This including Columbus Ave, Jacksonville Hwy, and downtown Jacksonville. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:15 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:00 PM with service ten times each day.
- Route 40 Central Point - Serves the cities of Medford and Central Point including Riverside and Central Avenues, the Rogue Valley Mall, Table Rock, Merriman, Bursell, and Hopkins Roads, downtown Central Point, and Crater High SchoolCrater High SchoolCrater High School is a public high school in Central Point, Oregon, United States.- Small School Initiative :Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, a program called the Small School Initiative was established in Crater after a monetary grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation...
. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes. - Route 60 White City - Serves the cities of Medford and White City via Crater Lake Ave and Crater Lake Hwy (Rt 62). It serves Providence Medical Center, Wal-Mart, Costco, North Medford (via Delta Waters Rd), as well as the Veteran's Affairs Domiciliary / Veteran's Hospital. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 5:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes.
Connecting Services
- Greyhound Lines - Offers several intercity departures daily along Interstate 5, connecting direct to Portland in the north and south to Sacramento, serving many intermediate cities along the way. GreyhoundGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
is serviced by all RVTD lines at Front Street station. - Southwest P.O.I.N.T. - This intercity route serves between Brookings and Klamath Falls with one departure each direction daily. POINT also serves several intermediate cities and popular destinations along the route, including Grants Pass and the Klamath Falls Amtrak stationKlamath Falls (Amtrak station)Klamath Falls is a station on Amtrak's Coast Starlight service in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The station is located at 1600 Oak Avenue. The station building, which was built in 1916, has a waiting room with a ticket agent...
and the Coast StarlightCoast StarlightThe Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles, California. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast...
. The Southwest P.O.I.N.T. is served by all RVTD lines at Front Street station and by Route 1 at the Rogue Valley International airport. - Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport - The airport (serviced by Route 1) provides direct flights to nine US cities, including San Francisco, Denver, and Portland. The airport is served by four major airlines. See main article.Rogue Valley International-Medford AirportRogue Valley International-Medford Airport is a public airport located 3 miles north of downtown Medford in Jackson County, Oregon, USA. In addition to Jackson County, the airport serves seven nearby counties in southwest Oregon. It is owned and operated by Jackson County's Aviation Authority...
Valley Lift Paratransit
The Rogue Valley Transportation District operates paratransit service known as Valley Lift. It is offered to senior citizens, people of physical or mental disability, or people who are unable to utilize fixed route buses for other reasons. Service is limited to areas which are no more than 3/4 of a mile by air from any fixed bus route. Such can be seen in their system map. People wishing to utilize the service must apply with RVTD after establishing their eligibility for Valley Lift.Fares
There are various methods to pay fares on RVTD buses. The most popular is cash; however, prepaid options are available. These options include tokens, day passes, monthly passes, as well as punch cards for 20 rides each. Passes, tokens, and punch cards can be purchased at any three of these locations:- Front St. Station at 200 S. Front St. in Medford
- RVTD Administration Offices located at 3200 Crater Lake Ave. in Medford
- City of Ashland Utilities Office at 20 E. Main St.
Cash Fares
Cash Fares Fare Type Description Price Full Fare Fare for adults (18 to 61) travelling anywhere in the district $2.00 Reduced Fare Fare for juniors (17-), seniors (62+), and people of disability 1 $1.00 Ashland city limits Full fare for all passengers in the City of Ashland 2 $1.00 Transfers Allow for reboarding of RVTD buses for 90 minutes 3 Free
1. Some individuals may be required to furnish proof of age or a valid Valley Lift ID.
2. Fare is only valid on Route 10 and Route 15 between Jackson WellSprings and Tolman Creek Rd.
3. Transfers may be used any number of times within the 90-minute timeframe. People holding transfers which have been modified or mutilated in any way may be required to pay a second fare.
Passes and Tokens
Passes and Tokens Prepaid Type Description Price Price
(Effective 1st Feb)1 Month Pass
(Full Fare)All-month travel pass for adults (18 to 61) valid anywhere in the coverage area $70.00 $56.00 1 Month Pass
(Reduced Fare)All-month travel pass for juniors (17-), seniors (62+), and people with disabilities2 $35.00 $28.00 20 Ride Punch-Card
(Full Fare)Covers 20 boardings and is valid throughout the coverage area 1 $40.00 $32.00 20 Ride Punch-Card
(Reduced Fare)Covers 20 boardings per card, valid for juniors (17-), seniors (62+) and people with disabilities 1,2 $20.00 $16.00 10 pack Tokens
(Full Fare)Covers 1 boarding per token, valid anywhere in the coverage area 1 $20.00 $16.00 10 pack Tokens
(Reduced Fare)Covers 1 boarding per token for juniors (17-), seniors (62+), and people with disabilities1,2 $10.00 $8.00
1. Usage of one boarding with the noted methods entitles the user to a free 90-minute bus transfer, valid on all buses.
2. Only valid for the groups mentioned, two passes cannot be combined. Some individuals may be required to furnish proof of age or a valid Valley Lift ID.
Valley Lift Paratransit
Valley Lift Fare Chart Fare Type Description Price Full Fare Full fare one-way for adults (18 to 61) travelling anywhere in the coverage area $4.00 Ashland city limits Full fare one-way for all passengers in the City of Ashland 1 $2.00
1. Fare is only valid in the Route 10 and Route 15 service area between Jackson WellSprings and Tolman Creek Rd.
- Valley Lift eligible ID holders ride RVTD fixed-route buses free of charge (effective February 2010).
Bus Fleet
Fleet Statistics Manufacturer Model Year Built Vehicle Length Fuel Type # in fleet New Flyer C35LF 2006 35 feet CNG 2 New Flyer C35LF 2004 35 feet CNG 10 New Flyer D35lf 2010 35 feet Diesel 3 Gillig Phantom 1990 35 feet Diesel 2 GMC New Look 1980 35 feet Diesel 6
Rogue Valley Transportation District operates a fleet of 23 buses, 3 paratransit buses, as well as a myriad of paratransit vans. Roughly 65% of the current transit bus fleet is powered by cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (abbreviated CNG
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
) engines. RVTD was among the first transportation districts in the state of Oregon to operate a majority CNG fleet, originally acquiring their first prototype buses, the Blue Bird Xcel from Blue Bird Corporation, in 1994.
Today RVTD has phased out the Blue Bird CNG vehicles in favor of the 35 foot natural gas coach manufactured by New Flyer Industries. These newer buses provide for greater fuel capacity of 3600 psi compared to their predecessors 3000 psi limit (allowing greater range on one fill-up), provide space for more passengers (65 seated and standees compared to 50 seated and standees), a low floor design with fully automated wheelchair ramp (compared to the partially automated wheelchair lift), easier passenger boarding and deboarding, as well as a more powerful engine.
In addition to their natural gas buses, the Rogue Valley Transportation District also operates diesel transit coaches in efforts to diversify their fuel usage. This has several key advantages including switching over to primarily diesel usage in the event of a natural gas price hike or vice versa. RVTD runs the diesel Newflyer
GM New Look (Fishbowl) Bus
The GM New Look bus, also commonly known by the nickname "Fishbowl" , is a transit bus introduced in 1959 by General Motors and produced until 1987. More than 44,000 New Look buses were built. Its high production figures and long service career made it an iconic North American transit bus. The...
coach and the Gillig Phantom
Gillig Phantom
The Gillig Phantom was a transit bus produced by the Gillig Corporation in Hayward, California. The Phantom was first introduced in late 1980 and, with the exception of a small number of buses built in a three-year-long joint venture with Neoplan from 1977 to 1979, was Gillig's first transit bus...
transit bus exclusively, however that may change as future fleet acquisitions occur. Previously in district history the entire fleet consisted of the New Look with a blue, yellow, and white paint scheme but the coaches have since been phased out.
Passenger Amenities
All RVTD buses feature the standard amenities one can come to expect from any transit agency. For example all buses are equipped with front bike racks manufactured by SportsWorks, allowing up to two bicycles to be carried with their corresponding riders ). Each bus is equipped with both forward cabin and rear cabin heating units keeping each bus at a warm, comfortable temperature during the winter. Most of the buses also have air conditioning as well, save for the 4500 series (the GMC New Looks) which do not have A/C. All buses have padded frontal seats for additional comfort, with the 4500 series featuring both front and rear padded seats.In compliance with the Americans with Disabilites Act of 1990 all RVTD buses feature some form of wheelchair ramp or lift as well as securement methods for the chairs themselves. The design in all buses allows a maximum of two wheelchairs to be secured safely in the bus at any given time. Currently there is no automated time point stop announcement system on the buses; they are called out by the operator instead. This is set to change though as the district is in the process of requesting proposals for the installation of such a system throughout all the buses(system is currently installed and under testing).
Transportation Demand Management Program
RVTD's planning department includes a transportation demand managementTransportation Demand Management
Transportation demand management, traffic demand management or travel demand management is the application of strategies and policies to reduce travel demand , or to redistribute this demand in space or in time.In transport as in any network, managing demand can be a cost-effective alternative to...
(TDM) program. Primarily funded by Region 3 of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the TDM program uses various techniques to promote alternatives to driving alone. Among these techniques are a group bus pass program, bicycle and pedestrian encouragement and education activities, carpool matching, transit marketing, and outreach to local government jurisdictions.
External links
- RVTD Ten-Year Long-Range Plan
- New Flyer Industries
- Clean Cities Article - Oregon Department of Energy
- Medford Mail Tribune
See also
- Lane Transit DistrictLane Transit DistrictThe Lane Transit District is a public agency that provides public transportation in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The transit district serves the Eugene metropolitan area, including the neighboring cities of Springfield, Junction City, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Veneta, and Lowell...
- TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District)TriMetTriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
- Cherriots (Salem-Keizer Transit)Salem-Keizer TransitSalem-Keizer Transit, branded and popularly known as Cherriots and more formally the Salem Area Mass Transit District, is a public agency that operates mass transit in the metropolitan area of Salem and Keizer, Oregon, United States...
- List of bus operating companies