Originally published by The News-Register on October 13, 2026
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Yamhill County Transit is now targeting Jan. 1, 2027, for the return of fares.
Fares were eliminated from buses in 2020 to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid, and YCT staff have been planning to reinstate them since last year. New rates were scheduled to go into effect in September, then November, but have been postponed until January “subject to operational readiness,” according to Transit Manager Cynthia Thompson.
Staff will give a report to the Board of Commissioners Thursday and discuss the proposed rates and service changes.
The latest proposal recommends fixed-route fares at $2 per ride, $5 per day, $25 per month and $250 annually and eliminates rate differences for in- and out-of-county residents.
“Many commenters felt the distinction between local and intercity fares was confusing or that the price difference was too great,” Thompson said in a staff report.
Earlier this year, YCT made cuts to its Dial-A-Ride service in Newberg and McMinnville, restricting the on-call service to people with disabilities and older adults. The latest proposal includes options for elderly and disabled residents and introduces a community pass program that would provide discounts to registered organizations.
Newberg’s on-demand GoWell service for people over 60 or with disabilities will continue, and the McMinnville paratransit service will be renamed Access Link and be available for qualifying riders within three-quarters of a mile of local routes.
Both services would cost $2 per ride, with options to purchase 10 tickets for $18 or 20 tickets for $36.
Businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, churches and other organizations will be able to participate in the Community Pass program. The proposed program has a $1,500 annual enrollment fee that allows organizations to access discounted rates of $10 for a monthly pass or $50 for an annual pass.
A business with 10 employees would save $500 by participating in the program instead of purchasing 10 annual passes.
The program is aimed at increasing ridership, according to Thompson.
“By providing organizations with access to discounted pass pricing, YCT can expand access to transportation while increasing the number of prepaid annual and monthly pass users,” she said.
The board will also discuss a second round of service adjustments following changes implemented in May. The changes would redesign three McMinnville routes to be more direct and introduce a fareless local route for Newberg residents. Those changes are also targeted for Jan. 1, or as soon afterward as operationally feasible.
The board will discuss the proposal at its meeting on Thursday, then will hold a hearing for public feedback at its Oct. 22 meeting.
The board will convene its meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Government Services Building at 400 N.E. Baker St., McMinnville. A meeting packet and Zoom link can be found at yamhillcounty.gov/agendacenter. The meeting will also be broadcast live on YouTube.
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