Increased transportation options for Prineville and Central Oregon residents

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Cascades East Transit is expanding its Dial-A-Ride service beginning March 30 to increase transportation options for residents in Prineville and throughout Central Oregon.

The curb-to-curb service provides shared rides to the general public to assist with commuting to work, attending appointments, and running errands.

The rural Dial-A-Ride program does not require an application for use and is available to the general public. It is designed as a shared-ride transit option for those living within the service area who need assistance staying connected to their communities.

Residents can schedule rides by calling 541-385-8680 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance. Callers are asked to have all trip information, including specific addresses, ready before contacting customer service.

Passengers must have a ticket or exact cash fare ready before boarding the vehicle. Drivers only accept exact change or pre-purchased tickets. Ride times are scheduled based on vehicle availability and the service may experience unexpected delays due to weather, traffic or other passenger delays.

For pickup or return trips, passengers should be ready 30 minutes before their scheduled ride time. Those traveling to scheduled appointments are advised to be ready 65 minutes before their appointment time. Drivers are instructed to wait only five minutes at a location before leaving if a passenger does not appear.

Cancellations must be reported at least 60 minutes before the reserved time. If a passenger misses their first scheduled ride of the day, Cascades East Transit asks that they notify the agency regarding any other scheduled trips for that same day.

The expanded service officially begins Monday, March 30. Residents can find service maps and additional information by visiting cascadeseasttransit.com.