HOOD RIVER — The Hood River County Transportation District, operating as Columbia Area Transit and locally known as “CAT,” is in the process of updating their 2017 Transit Master Plan (TMP), a key guiding document that outlines the delivery of community and regional transit services. The agency is asking community and regional residents for input to help shape its future delivery of services.
Hood River County is experiencing a growing population, is an increasing draw for recreation and tourism, and is expanding local and regional employment opportunities.
Hearing from the community about how transit can address these changing conditions and include supportive transportation options (e.g., bike share, vanpools, ridesharing) is a critical part of the CAT Transit Master Plan’s development.
CAT invites local and regional residents to weigh in early in the planning process by taking a brief online survey — available in English and Spanish — at engagecatbus.org.
Visit engagecatbus.org for full details, timelines, public event schedules, informational materials and to take the survey.
The Hood River County Transportation District is a special district organized under Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 267. Major sources of funding include grants from the Federal Transit Administration, diverse sources from the State of Oregon, local property tax and user fees.
The district was formed by a vote of Hood River County residents in 1993.
Planning Approach
The overall planning approach for the master plan process contains six core operating principles:
• Put the passenger first
• Make participation easy and meaningful
• Engage partnerships with reciprocity
• Integrate regional opportunities
• Identify short-term improvements that reflect long-term vision
• Focus on implementation
Five local areas and associated regional corridors will be the areas of focus:
• Odell and Lower Hwy. 35
• Upper Valley and Upper Hwy. 35
• Cascade Locks
• City of Hood River East
• City of Hood River West (including unincorporated areas)
• Regional Corridor: Portland — Multnomah Falls — The Dalles — Hood River Cascade Locks
How to Get Involved
CAT will be engaging in a variety of tailored outreach methods to ensure members of the community are given a chance to get involved in the conversation. The goal of the TMP’s public involvement plan is to provide Hood River County stakeholders with meaningful and easily accessible input opportunities throughout the TMP process. There will be an intentional focus on gathering input from historically marginalized groups, including but not limited to low-income individuals, youth, people with disabilities, seniors, immigrants and limited English proficiency individuals.
Bilingual materials will be available and Spanish-speaking staff and translators will on hand at specific events.
The TMP Process
The process for completing the new TMP begins with a period of public outreach to individuals, community groups and organizations, stakeholders and government entities and entails group meetings, a presence at public events, interviews with stakeholders and the community survey. A Technical Advisory Committee and a TMP Board Advisory Committee will help to steer the process. Once all input is reviewed and a plan is formulated, public hearings and a comment period will follow. Adoption of the final TMP is under the authority of CAT’s board of directors.
The TMP timeline runs through 2023, with final adoption of the new plan scheduled for the end of that year.
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