RVTD Celebrating 50 Years in the Rogue Valley

Congratulations to Rogue Valley Transportation District for this celebratory accomplishment! 

According to their website:

Pre-RVTD: Early Transportation in the Rogue Valley

The first efforts to establish a reliable transportation network in the Rogue Valley date back to 1891, when a single track of passenger rail line connected the county seat in Jacksonville with the railroad town of Medford. By 1915, the White Pennant Auto Line had begun running nine-passenger touring cars four times a day between Medford and Ashland. In 1920, the Ashland-Medford Auto Line charged 50 cents for the 34-minute journey, offering passengers “good, comfortable robes” to wear.

Transit During World War II and the Mid-20th Century

During the Second World War, transit in the region played a crucial role in supporting the war effort. Rogue Valley Transit provided bus service for the tens of thousands of soldiers and workers stationed at Camp White, where White City is today. Ads from the time urged residents to “Save Tires and Gasoline,” reminding them that “Your car should be used sparingly as you probably won’t be able to get a new one for a long time to come.” The round-trip fare from Camp White to Medford was just 40 cents. In the 1950s and 60s, valley transit service was offered through private firms such as Evergreen and Mt. Ashland Stage Lines.

The Formation and Early RVTD

It wasn’t until 1975 that Rogue Valley Transportation District was officially formed under a revised state law, becoming the first of its kind in Oregon. Though the district existed on paper, it took another year and a half of organizing, planning, and funding before the first two leased vans began service on July 18, 1977. With just two vehicles serving a population of 90,000, transit service in those early days was limited. However, the first five years saw steady expansion. By 1982, a zone fare system was adopted, standardized schedules were implemented, and hours of service were extended. Saturday service was launched in the summer of 1983.

RVTD Today

Since its founding, RVTD has grown into a respected leader in public transit, earning national recognition as the 2017 National Small Urban Transit System of the Year. Today, the district operates a fleet of 47 buses and 23 paratransit vans covering nearly 80 square miles and serving eight cities. RVTD serves nearly 200,000 people across Medford, Central Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, White City, and Eagle Point, with nearly 4,000 daily boardings.

A strong advocate for sustainability, RVTD was among the first transit agencies to introduce clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) in its fleet. Today, 33 of its buses run on CNG, with a significant portion of that energy sourced from renewable natural gas (RNG) through a partnership with US Gain. Additionally, RVTD’s Hybrid-Diesel Electric fleet now runs entirely on renewable diesel.

Since March, RVTD has added their newest route, Route 41, Central Point. Check out this link for more schedule information.