The Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments (OCWCOG) has announced the public launch of multiple new tools that aim to provide a seamless transit experience for travelers in the region of Lincoln, Benton and Linn counties. 

This project is a collaboration between OCWCOG, Albany Transit System including the Linn-Benton Loop, Benton County Transit, Corvallis Transit System including the Philomath Connection, Lincoln County Transit, the Linn Shuttle and the LINX of Lebanon.

Cascades West Transit and Ride Options, aka CW Ride (https://cwride.org), focuses on more easily connecting passengers to their final destination through improved technology and support across all of the regional transit agencies. Riders will be able to plan their trip, see when the next bus is coming at each stop, identify connections across providers, and buy tickets on the website and associated smartphone applications. 

“The goal of this project is to provide a seamless experience for people across all three counties, and help them get from point A to point B using an option other than a personal car. I’m thankful for all of the hard work put in by staff to improve transportation in the region,” said
Nick Meltzer, OCWCOG transportation programs manager.

The new technologies include real-time automatic vehicle location data, passenger predictions for bus arrival times, an app, “Transit,” for riders to plan their regional trips on public transport, the ability to purchase tickets electronically through the “Token Transit” app, and a centralized website that incorporates all these features in one place. In addition to the digital features, OCWCOG expanded their training services. Travel Training helps riders expand their ability to ride the bus safely and reliably by working one on one with an experienced transit rider. Driver Training Programs are also offered to better equip drivers to support their riders.

“I encourage everyone to visit CW Ride and see how to travel across our region. This project highlights the benefit of working with great regional partners and makes me proud to lead OCWCOG,” said Ryan Vogt, OCWCOG executive director.

For more information, visit https://cwride.org or contact Meltzer at [email protected].