Starting Tuesday, paying for bus fare in Salem will be as simple as a tap.
The Salem Area Mass Transit District, known as Cherriots, is launching its electronic-fare payment system on Tuesday, August 1, allowing riders to pay by either phone or card, as an alternative option next to the existing farebox.
It’s a step toward making the bus system more accessible, said Seth Hamlin, customer service manager at Cherriots.
“Electronic fare breaks down a lot of barriers for our ridership and it’s more equitable in the fact that they don’t have to have exact fare to ride the bus anymore,” he said.
A bus ride within the Salem-Keizer service area costs $1.60 for an adult, and regional rides are $2.25 each.
The new e-fare system is managed by Umo, which is used by three other transit agencies in the state, including the Lane Transit District in Eugene.
Customers will be able to load money onto either a card or the Umo Mobility app, using a debit or credit card. Money can be loaded through the app, or for card users on Umo’s website or at Cherriots’ customer service center at the downtown transit center at 555 Court St. N.E.
The e-fare also helps riders track how much they’ve spent in the day or month, and allows them to take advantage of Cherriots fare caps. When riders who have added money in advance spend more than $3.20 in a day or $45 in a month for local rides, all additional rides are free.
Cherriots has a step-by-step guide on their website on how to get started, and how to use the e-fare when boarding. Fareboxes will stay on the bus and the e-fare will not replace that payment option, Hamlin said.
Planning for the project started last summer, and a limited number of test riders started using the system in July. Planning, the contract with Umo and installation brought the total project cost to $784,000 Hamlin said. The Umo contract lasts through 2027.
“I’m just really excited to see electronic fare implemented here at the district,” Hamlin said. “I really think that customers are going to find it’s much, much easier to ride our system and overall I think the energy behind it, the excitement, has been great so far.”
Fare cards can be picked up at Cherriots customer service downtown, and are free through August 30. Starting next month, they will be $3 each. The account balance is recoverable if the card is lost and the rider has a registered account or knows the card number.
Riders cannot use both the app and a card for a single account, Hamlin said. Each rider needs their own account.
Those who qualify for reduced fare, including people over 60, people with red, white and blue Medicare cards and people with disabilities need to visit customer service to have the discount applied to their account.
People age 18 and under who ride for free won’t need to get the card or app, Hamlin said. Cherriots lowered its fares throughout its service area in March.
Cherriots has a frequently asked question page on their website addressing the Umo system, account management and payments.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
