MTM Transit will expand its presence in the Salem, Ore., area under a new contract with the Salem Area Mass Transit District (SAMTD) to operate additional Cherriots services in the Salem-Keizer community. Since 2015, MTM Transit has functioned as SAMTD's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) eligibility assessments contractor, and has also served as the district's call center contractor since 2016. Now, following a competitive bidding process, MTM Transit is expanding with SAMTD even further through a new contract inclusive of call center and transportation services.
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, MTM Transit will begin operating three transportation services for the District:
- Cherriots LIFT, an ADA paratransit service that provides a demand-responsive transportation option for people with disabilities who are unable to access the fixed route for all or some of their trips
- Cherriots Regional Service, a system that serves 17 communities in rural Marion and Polk counties through five express routes and one flex route
- Cherriots Shop and Ride, a shuttle that helps older adults and people with disabilities access grocery stores and shopping centers in the Salem-Keizer area
MTM Transit will operate a unified mobility management program for the district—an approach that will allow the company to further align its shared values, culture, and strengths with the Salem community.
"Since beginning our relationship with SAMTD more than seven years ago, MTM Transit has been committed to providing a world-class customer experience—and we are excited to continue meeting that goal and exceeding expectations under this newly expanded program," said MTM Transit's Regional Vice President Scott Transue.
MTM Transit's Chief Operating Officer Brian Balogh added, "SAMTD is an incredibly valued partner to MTM Transit. With this one-stop-shop approach to mobility management, we look forward to providing a world-class experience for customers at every touch point: from when they complete the ADA eligibility process, to when they call to schedule a trip, to when they board a Cherriots vehicle."
The new contract has a base term of five years plus two one-year options. MTM Transit anticipates providing approximately 148,800 Cherriots LIFT trips annually, as well as an additional 70,000 trips through the Regional Service and Shop and Ride shuttle. MTM Transit's team of 70-plus Cherriots-dedicated employees will guide the District as the organizations work together to enhance transportation services for residents in the Salem-Keizer Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Planned enhancements to the system under MTM Transit include supporting a software transition and upgrade, solving for facility/park-out spaces and security, and evolving to add new services in the future, such as microtransit.
