A Day On the Bus

Cole Goodwin riding around on Gorge TransLink in July.

By Cole Goodwin & Tom Peterson

Spend a day on a public bus in the gorge and you’re bound to meet all kinds of people. 

The Gorge TransLink motto is “Everybody rides”, after all. 

On any given day you can find a diverse sampling of our Gorge Community on public transit. People from all walks of life use Gorge TransLink to get to and from work, school, the laundromat, shopping trips, social calls, and doctors appointments. 

Spending even a single hour on the bus can reveal a lot about the community, its needs, and how public transit acts as a great equalizer for creating access to numerous services both locally and regionally.

During the heat of the summer CCC News spent an hour on the LINK Bus to get the lay of the land. 

It’s 7:39 a.m.

It’s Friday, July 30, at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in East The Dalles and the LINK bus is waiting. It’s supposed to be 111 degrees later today, but the cool of the morning and Bus Driver Steve Wilson’s welcoming tone are a breath of fresh air.

Sitting several rows back in the bus, a 29-year-old woman has taken a seat on the 1-hour Blue Line circling The Dalles. 

Like many riders, she’s on her way to work. 

She’s going to work at Swell Gelato in the Port of The Dalles, a locally owned producer of artisanal gelato for dogs that’s well...swell.

She had jumped on board at the stop near Goodwill on 8th Street.

“I’ve been taking the bus since I started my job,” she said. “Otherwise, I enjoy walking. I walk everywhere else.”

She actually grew up in Moscow, Russia and came to the US 20 years ago, spending time in California and then Portland. 

She wears a Star Trek t-shirt and a California Science Center hat. 

“That’s where the space shuttle Endeavour is,” she said.

She chose to remain unnamed for this story, but she was emphatic about why she uses the bus.

“I think it is unconscionable to produce emissions that a single vehicle produces.”

She’s not alone in choosing public transit for environmental reasons.

A Quick Look at Local Public Transit’s Environmental Impact

Even a bus with as few as seven riders still has a better efficiency rate than the average single occupancy vehicle. Communities have made public transit or carpooling initiatives a priority as a part of reducing their carbon emissions. Towns that invest in public transit collectively reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 63 million metric tons and cut the U.S.’s gasoline usage by 6 billion gallons a year. 

Locally, Columbia Area Transit (CAT) based in Hood River has already implemented an Employee Pass Program to increase ridership and lower carbon emissions by lowering single occupancy vehicle use.

“CAT’s Downtown Employee Pass Program addresses three City goals at once. The program helps reduce parking congestion, furthers the City’s climate goals by offering a public transit option, and supports affordability by providing workers with free transportation. The City of Hood River is very fortunate to have such an innovative and collaborative transit district to work with,” said Will Norris, Interim City Manager.

Back On the Bus

It’s now 7:45 a.m.

The bus pulls up to the stop on Federal Street near Tony’s Town and Country on Second St. 

Harry Cagley, 70, sits down on the front row seat. Like many bus riders, he’s using public transit to get to a doctor appointment. 

And he seems to know the bus driver Steve Wilson pretty well. 

“Going up to the skin doc,” Cagley said. “I get the bluelight special.”

Cagley is being treated for skin cancer and will soon have a topical treatment to his scalp activated by a blue light. 

“He’s a pretty good guy,” he said of his doctor.

“A little bit blunt,” Wilson said.

“Yeah, Cagley,” Replied, and agreed it was good that his doctor was straight-forward in tough conversations. 

Cagley lives at the intersection of Fourth and Seventh Streets and chose to walk down to the bus stop. 

For Cagely, the bus is better than walking in inclement weather, especially when he needs to beat the heat.

“It would be hell without this bus,” he said. “In this kind of heat? It’s a killer.”

Cagley, who had spent time in Alabama and Tennessee before moving to The Dalles, said he rides the bus several times a week, fetching groceries and other odds and ends. 

Harry Cagely helping another passenger with their luggage.

Many elderly, or disabled people who cannot drive or do not have a grocery store within walking distance of them rely on public transit to help them get their groceries. Luckily, The Dalles and Hood River Shopping Bus offers door-to-door service to grocery stores and shopping centers, and helps community members with loading and unloading their groceries.

Bus Drivers help people with loading and unloading their wares, sometimes groceries, sometimes lamps or fishing poles. For some elderly and disabled riders that help makes all the difference in their shopping experience and in their everyday lives. 

Bus Driver Steve Wilson said he loves to help and added that he considered it a red-letter day when he got to use both the bike rack and the wheelchair ramp on the bus during the same day.

Back on The Bus

It’s 8:01 a.m.

The Bus stops near the Pallet Shelters for the houseless on Bargeway Road next to the Columbia River. A black and brown wiener dog and its owner are waiting with a suitcase and grocery bag. 

Gorge TransLink had just recently begun utilizing new stops located near houseless shelters in the Gorge to help those experiencing houselessness get to work, get to the laundromat, and to other essential services that they would have limited or no access to otherwise. 
Virginia Medina, 71 and her dog Bruno, are two of their new regulars as a result of the new bus stop. 

Cagley quickly steps up to help Medina bring her luggage aboard. 

If the bus is indeed a way to get a good sampling of the community, than perhaps this good deed is no big surprise- there is a sense of community on the bus. Everyone here is on their way to separate destinations, but sharing space and time together non the less.

“I’ve got laundry to do at Cascade Square,” Medina said, pointing to the luggage. “It’s so nice to be able to leave my stuff at the shelter.”

Virgina Medina and Bruno on the bus.

Medina moved to The Dalles 12 years ago after her husband passed away. She came here to live in a trailer at her mom’s house. But she now resides at The Dalles Houseless Shelter while she works on getting connected to more permanent housing.

Medina said the air conditioning will be a lifesaver today. “We have air conditioning,” she said of the small shelters that are designed for two people. She lives there with a friend.

“I use the bus a couple of times a week,” she said, noting she would otherwise have to carry her clothes more than a mile to get to the laundromat.

She struggles a bit with walking and managing her load as well as her dog all at once. So, she is very thankful for the bus. Thanks to public transit, instead of carrying a heavy load under the heat of the sun, she gets to sit in the air conditioning on a clean bus seat and she thanks the driver for his help. 

Thanks to the affordability of Gorge TransLink, a single ride costs just $1.50 or you can purchase Gorge Trans Link’s GOrge Pass to get unlimited rides for just $30 a year for adults and $15 a year for ages 17 and under. It is easily affordable by people from all walks of life. To increase access for those in need, Gorge TransLink also offers free ride programs for eligible students, houseless shelter guests, and more through the Gorge Transit Connect Program. 

“Reliable, accessible transportation is important for all of us in order to get the goods and services we need for daily life. In our rural communities, lack of transportation is a barrier for many people. People living in poverty, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness often list lack of transportation as one of the most challenging barriers they encounter,” said Sarah Kellems, Executive Director, at Hood River Shelter Services. “Gorge TransLink is working to break down these barriers as they provide an integration of public transportation services across the Mid-Columbia region. We are excited to be a partner of Columbia Area Transit through the Gorge Transit Connect Program which allows us to provide bus passes to our shelter guests at no cost to our guests or our organization.” 

Did You Know? Every $1 invested in public transportation generates up to $5 in economic returns to the community.

8:03 a.m.

Train delay - a train crosses Weber Street near the jail, stopping traffic

8:05 a.m.

Wilson sees no one waiting for the bus at the Department of Human Services building on Klindt Drive. He drives the extra quarter mile to near Hage Electric and stops the bus. The 29-year-old woman originally from Russia hops off the bus, ready to start her day by making some fresh batches of gelato for dogs.

8:09 a.m.

The Bus stops at the transit center next to Home Depot

8:14 a.m.

Wilson swings through the parking lot of One Community Health. No riders. Moving on.

8:18 a.m.

Medina disembarks after Wilson pulls up next to the laundromat at Cascade Square. Cagley quickly jumps up and carries Medina’s suitcase down the steps of the bus for her and says goodbye.

Wilson shuts the bus doors and moves out. 

Next stop: Columbia Gorge Community College. 

The Blue Line Link Bus waiting at Columbia Gorge Community College bus stop.

On the way Wilson says he’s a people person and loves driving. He likes seeing the walkers and other people of The Dalles in their daily routines and chatting with them.

“I’m a big waver,” he said. “I wave at everybody. That and smiles.” 

He recently gave Eilene Eislinger  a bouquet of flowers for her 100th birthday on June 14.

He has given Eilene many a ride around The Dalles in his days as a driver. And now that she is a centennial she will get to ride for free which may mean many more rides still await her. 

8:23 a.m.

Raindrops - about 20 hit the windshield of the bus on Scenic Drive. Everyone on the bus looks astonished. And then it ends.

8:29 a.m.

As Wilson turns into the Columbia Gorge Community College bus stop, it reminds him of a recent rider. A student who had enrolled in a single mechanical class was floored to see the new student housing and Skills Center set to open this fall.

Many CGCC students, high school, elementary and even preschool students ride the bus or use dial-a-ride to get to and from school. 

One such student is Alighery Jimnez Lozano, 18, from Hood River. She wasn’t on the bus today but she uses public transit at least once a week during the summer and sometimes more during the academic year to get to school, appointments and to run errands. She uses the time that she would have otherwise spent driving to read, listen to music or study if needed. 

She said she and her family use public transit for multiple reasons.

“Some of my family members only have one car for their entire family, so individual schedules sometimes conflict. Especially when their vehicle breaks down, they use the public transport,” said Jimnez Lozano.

“Public transportation is important because it helps those who do not have access to a vehicle move around and is essential to spaced out towns like Hood River. Not everyone can drive for numerous reasons including medical and if they live in the upper valley, getting to their appointments is a feat,” said Jimnez Lozano

She’s pretty comfortable with the system now, but at first she did have some concerns 

“I was worried about having to use different paying methods for the different buses,” said Jimenez Lozano, “Now it’s less expensive and it’s easier to use the card.”

With the GOrge Pass all you need is one card to access CAT, LINK, Skamania County Transit, Mt. Adams Public Transportation Services, and Sherman County Transit. 

We asked her to tell us what she would say to someone who was hesitant about riding the bus. 

“They should consider using public transportation because by doing so, they will be saving much more money than if they were using their vehicle daily. Also, it is not much of a hassle as it appears initially, and the schedules are quite convenient.” 

Her favorite thing about using public transportation?

“It is less expensive than owning a vehicle and you meet nice people on the way.”

Jimnez Lozano estimated that choosing public transportation instead of driving her own car has saved her $1370.00 in gas a year. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) the average household spends 16 cents on every dollar earned on transportation, with 93 percent of that money being spent on buying, maintaining and operating cars. 

“Our students often face difficult challenges -- the high cost of housing, child care, broadband access and transportation,” said Dan Spatz, Director of Capital Projects and Community Relations at Columbia Gorge Community College. “Many students drive long distances every day, and that's expensive. We're an early adapter in distance learning, but students still need to visit campus for labs and other classes. GorgeTranslink is important because it's a central information hub: Several public transit providers serve our college, and GorgeTranslink has routing and schedule details on all of them. It's a one-stop resource for riders. Students who use public transit save money on gas and car repairs.”

Back on the Bus

It’s 8:33 a.m. about one hour since CCC News hopped on.

Wilson has hit his mark. He is ahead of schedule by 5 minutes and is back at the hospital.

He will give Cagley a lift to his doctor’s office across the street. 

He’s still smiling.

“It’s Friday, and I still love my job,” he said. 

Wilson’s not the only one to feel that way either, several LINK bus driver’s confirmed that it was the people and getting them to their destinations safely and on time was what really made the job worth it.

If there’s one thing that spending an hour on the bus has taught CCC News it’s that everybody really does ride, and that using public transportation is a great way to meet your neighbors and serve your community.

Interested in pucharsing a GOrge Pass? Click here.