COMMUNITY

Hop Aboard

Summer shuttle service to return to Pacific City with free service from Bob Straub State Park to Whalen Island

By TIM HIRSCH

of the Sun

Who said there’s no such thing as a free ride? When tourists descend on the popular Cape Kiwanda area this summer, they’ll once again be able to take advantage of Tillamook Transportation District’s free shuttle service, a weekend program designed to help move the high volume of visitors traveling to the Pacific City-Woods area.

The program begins May 27 and runs through Sept. 5 and will take passengers from as far south as Bob Straub State Park and as far north as Whalen Island County Park. The shuttle, which runs hourly in the morning and late afternoon and evening hours, starts service at 9 a.m. each day. It also features stops at many of the popular places in and around Pacific City — including Kiawanda Community Center, the Pelican Pub, and Sitka Sedge State Natural Area.

Shuttle service will be more frequent during the mid-day hours when service every 30 minutes will be offered to those looking to commute from one popular area destination to the next. In addition to Friday through Sunday service, the shuttle will operate on Labor Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

Last year, the more frequent mid-day service paid dividends, says Doug Pilant, general manager of TCTD.

“We noticed that when there’s more frequency, the service was really well used,” he told the Sun. “The number of trips per hour (five to six) was right up there with our most productive routes in the system.”

He also said that the district is more ready to keep the increased mid-day services going. Last year, they faced a driver shortage and had to revert to one hour mid-day service at times, but with an improved driver pool in play this year, Pilant said this season will be different.

Also new this year is the addition of a trolley transportation option, which will split time ferrying passengers with the more traditional buses.

“Trolleys stand out more, and they’re more fun than a regular bus,” Pilant said. “What we’re trying to do is create a better experience for the visitors and residents who want to use the service. We’re going to be running the trolley for as many hours as we can.”

And, with Oregon Department of Transportation’s recent announcement that they have awarded a grant to TCTD for the purchase of two more trolleys, Pilant said there will be more of these “fun” vehicles coming in the future — though those are about 18 months out. He said he expects the additional trolleys to be spread throughout the county.

TCTD says both visitors and residents of the Pacific City-Woods area are welcome on the Pacific City Free Shuttle. The shuttles also accommodate bicycles. 

To check for shuttle stop times, riders are encouraged to check out Tillamook Transportation District’s free mobile app titled “Transit App.” For more information on the Pacific City Shuttle services, call the Tillamook County Transportation District’s customer service department at 503-815-8283 or visit nworegontransit.org/pacific-city-shuttle/.