This month, Cascades East Transit resumed fare collection, which had been suspended on non-recreational routes since the spring of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating fare-free had been possible because of federal relief funding, CET stated, but that money has long been in the rearview mirror.
CET is operated by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, a regional organization made up of city and county governments in the tri-county area plus the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. After experimenting with rural public transportation in the mid-2000s, COIC established a regular bus service in Bend with regional connections by 2010.
Today, a bus trip (excluding Dial-a-Ride, the airport route and recreational shuttles) costs $2, with a daily cap of $6 if a rider is using the new CET Go Pass, an e-payment system where riders add funds to an app or a physical card that they can scan instead of paying cash. Monthly bus passes cost $60, while an annual pass costs $500.
“This reintroduction of fares supports public transit growth and expansion, funding new routes, extended service hours and improved accessibility to reach more areas across Central Oregon,” CET stated on its website.
A reduced fare program exists for qualifying individuals. Included are, but not limited to, riders age 60 or older, Medicare cardholders, disabled veterans and other disabled individuals, and individuals who can legally verify their low-income status. For standard bus routes, the reduced fare is $1.
While cash fare is currently still accepted, CET stated that it wants to phase this out for numerous reasons.
“Users can still pay with cash on the bus, but it is discouraged as they will be paying full-price fares,” said CET spokesperson Andrea Wasilew in an email to the Source. “Individuals who sign up for passes… will qualify for the daily limit where after you ride the bus three times, everything else is free for that day. In line with collecting revenue, the transit card/app system allows us to improve safety on the bus by creating individual accounts we can use to exclude riders from the bus who should not be using the system based on behavior, rule violations, etc.”
CET leaders expect ridership to decrease slightly as a result of fares returning. “Generally, we could expect a 10% reduction in rides from fare re-implementation. A lot of times it isn’t a reduction of riders, but a reduction of trips, as people become a little more diligent in organizing trips when each one has a specific cost,” Wasilew said.
The agency currently projects that fare revenue will total “approximately $1.2 million in the first year based on previous ridership,” Wasilew told the Source. “This will help support the current system as costs increase, and also potentially support increased service.”
Community and the future
The Central Oregon Community Movement Fund is a fundraising effort by CET “to unite community partners in expanding bus transit access and strengthening a connected region where no one is left behind due to financial barriers,” an agency press release reads.
Sponsors can make a $500 or higher contribution to fully subsidize fares, “allowing residents who cannot afford transit to ride the bus.” A $10,000 sponsorship would cover 10,000 bus tickets or 330 individual monthly passes.
CET intends to create long-term partnerships with local social service organizations through this fund, but informed the Source that the program is in its earliest stages. “We do not yet know what level of contribution to anticipate from the community or which specific aspects of the program donors may be most interested in supporting,” Wasilew said. “As sponsor and community contributions begin to come in over the coming months, we expect to gain a clearer understanding and will work with partner organizations and stakeholders to ensure these funds are used in the most impactful way possible to support riders.”
Some riders aren’t psyched about paying fares through the virtual CET Go Pass. A Bend resident waiting at Hawthorne Station, Sam, complained, “It’s just going to make things more complicated for no reason.”
CET argues that the Go Pass will “streamline the process” and that “safety reasons” make digitization a better option than cash fares.
Coin collectors need not worry at the moment, though. “We currently do not have a timeline,” Wasilew stated when asked if CET plans to phase out cash fares entirely. “We are assessing the pass system and listening to riders’ request to accept cash, at least in the interim, as the system is implemented.”
In the case of fare evasion, Wasilew said, “Bus drivers can turn people away if they do not pay… if there is a safety risk, police will be called.”
For those who don’t have a smartphone or prefer other payment methods, CET will be hosting sign-up events throughout the month of February, offering physical transit pass cards, as well as more information about the new payment system and service changes.
• Feb 5: Madras DMV Bus Stop, 8am – noon
• Feb 5: Redmond Transit Hub, 1pm – 3:30pm
• Feb 6: Redmond Transit Hub, 7am – 1pm
• Feb 10: Crook County Library, 9am – 1pm
• Feb 11: Warm Springs Market, 9am – 3pm
• Feb 18: Warm Springs Market, 9am – 3pm
• Feb 19: Crook County Library, 11:30am – 3:30pm
Riders can also sign up for a pass card and other programs at Hawthorne Station in Bend during normal business hours. “If you think you qualify for a reduced fare swing by Hawthorne Station or a sign-up event in your area with appropriate documentation for your account to be verified,” CET stated.
This article appears in the Source February 12, 2026.
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