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    1. Bus

    CAT to assume operations of Columbia Gorge Express

    Oct. 30, 2019
    CAT will provide up to eight roundtrips a day along the I-84 corridor.
    Related To: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)

    The Columbia Area Transit (CAT) is assuming the operations of the Columbia Gorge Express bus service on Nov. 4, which has been operated by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) since 2016.

    As the Columbia Gorge Express operator, CAT will provide as many as eight round trips a day along the I-84 corridor in the Gorge. All buses will stop at the Gateway Transit Center, Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks and Hood River. In addition, some buses will continue east to The Dalles.

    Riders should look for large buses with the familiar Columbia Gorge Express markings.

    Here is the schedule:

    ·       Weekday eastbound buses will leave the Gateway Transit Center eight times a day approximately every 90 minutes. The first eastbound bus of the day departs at 7:00 a.m., the last at 6:30 p.m.

    ·        Weekend eastbound buses will leave the Gateway Transit Center six times a day, the first at 8:30 a.m., the last at 5:30 p.m.

    ·        Weekday westbound buses will leave Hood River about every 90 minutes, the first departure of the day set for 5:40 a.m., the last for 5:15 p.m.

    ·        Weekend westbound buses will leave Hood River six times a day, the first at 7:10 a.m. and the last at 4:10 p.m.

    ODOT launched the Columbia Gorge Express to Multnomah Falls in 2016 and in 2018, extended the service to Cascade Locks and Hood River with year-round operations. The objective of the service is to offer a car-free travel option between Portland and Hood River, enhance access to key recreation destinations and help ease Gorge traffic congestion.

    Ridership on the Columbia Gorge Express has grown steadily since its launch, demonstrating that there is demand for the service among residents and tourists in the Portland metro area and in Gorge communities.

    ODOT will continue to operate the shuttle between Multnomah Falls and Rooster Rock State Park in the summer of 2020. ODOT and CAT will collaborate to ensure that the services run smoothly in tandem yet are distinctive to their riders.