![C-TRANbus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/C-TRANbus.jpg)
C-Tran (stylized as C-TRAN), more formally the Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority, is a
public transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...
agency serving
Clark County, Washington, United States, including the cities of
Battle Ground,
Camas,
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
Washougal, and
Yacolt. Founded in 1981, C-Tran operates fixed route
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
services within Clark County, as well as
paratransit
Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
services for qualified persons with disabilities (C-Van) and a
dial-a-ride
Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...
service in Camas,
Ridgefield, and
La Center (The Connector). C-Tran also provides express commuter services between
Clark County and various points in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
, including downtown, the Parkrose/Sumner and Delta Park
MAX Light Rail
The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five color-designated lines that altogether connect the six sectio ...
stations (in northeast and north Portland),
Lloyd District
The Lloyd District is a primarily commercial neighborhood in the North and Northeast sections of Portland, Oregon. It is named after Ralph Lloyd (1875–1953), a California rancher, oilman, and real estate developer who moved to and started ...
, and
Oregon Health and Science University
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
C-Tran operates three transit centers:
Vancouver Mall
Vancouver Mall is a shopping mall owned by Cenntenial Real Estate, and located in the city of Vancouver, Washington, U.S., which is within the Portland (Oregon) metropolitan area. It is anchored by Gold's Gym, H&M, JCPenney, Macy's, AMC, Hobby ...
, Fisher's Landing in east county, and 99th Street at Stockford Village, as well as three park and rides: Salmon Creek, Evergreen, and Andresen.
Twenty-nine transit routes operate to serve the approximately 350,000 residents of Clark County, while C-Tran's 108 transit coaches and 52 paratransit coaches travel over
History
Pre-2000
The Clark County
public transportation benefit area A public transportation benefit area, abbreviated as PTBA, is a type of public-benefit corporation for public transit operators in the U.S. state of Washington.
Description
Public transportation benefit areas are defined by Revised Code of Washin ...
was approved by 55 percent of voters on November 4, 1980, along with a 0.3 percent sales tax,
and formally established on January 1, 1981. The agency branded itself as "C-Tran" and took over the Vancouver Transit System on July 6, 1981. The Vancouver system was originally established in May 1969 and was supplemented by Tri-Met express service from Portland that began in 1976.
The Tri-Met service continued under contract after C-Tran was established and gradually phased out.
Service increases and reorganization in 2000
On July 1, 2000, C-Tran opened a transit center facility in Fisher's Landing, replacing the Evergreen Transit Center (now Evergreen Park & Ride) as its east county hub. Along with the opening of Fisher's Landing Transit Center, many lines serving east Clark County and the Vancouver Mall area were rerouted and had their frequency increased. Fisher's Landing Transit Center links eastern Vancouver with Camas, Washougal and
Parkrose (in northeast
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
). Around the same time, C-Tran changed its transfer design to conform with that of TriMet, allowing C-Tran riders to use its transfer to ride on any route in any direction (unlike previously, in which C-Tran transfers were marked with the route number to prevent riders from using it to make a round trip or a stop-over). The "Day Code" on a C-Tran transfer (and today, C-Tran Day Pass) is identical to that of TriMet, consisting of two letters out of the eight-letter pool: M, J, I, E, X, D, B and C.
Clark County Proposition 1 (2004)
In November 2004, a ballot initiative known as Proposition 1 was defeated by a simple majority of voters. While 46.33% of eligible voters, or 73,959 ballots, approved this measure to increase the Clark County
sales tax by 0.3% (from the current 7.7%) to continue the funding of the public transportation, 53.67% (85,684 votes) rejected the proposition.
The Proposition 1 was intended to provide continued funding sources for C-Tran after the 1998 statewide repeal of Washington motor vehicle registration tax.
As a result of the lost revenue, effective September 25, 2005, C-Tran could have reduced its services by 46%, effectively eliminating about a half of currently existing bus and paratransit services. The planned service reduction would have eliminated all services to the north beyond Salmon Creek Park & Ride, including commuter services to
Ridgefield; all services to the east beyond Fisher's Landing Transit Center, discontinuing all Camas and Washougal services including the Connector; end all Vancouver-Central Portland express bus services; and drastically reduced the frequency of surviving routes (except for the 165-Parkrose Express, whose services would be increased).
Vancouver–Central Portland commuter lines would have been replaced by 205 – Interstate 5 Shuttle, 234 – Salmon Creek Shuttle and 257 – BPA Shuttle, all of which would have terminated at
TriMet
TriMet, formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created in 1969 ...
's
Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station.
In addition to major downsizing of services, C-Tran proposed closing two park and ride lots, reducing service center hours, ending service day at 8 pm weekdays and ending most weekend runs. As a result, C-Tran intended to also lay off a large number of employees.
To make up lost revenues, the C-Tran board of directors also considered a fare increase, elimination of free transfers and termination of reciprocal fare agreement with TriMet.
Most of these service reductions were avoided after C-Tran passed a special ballot measure in September 2005. C-Tran still operates all commuter lines to and from downtown
Portland's Transit Mall.
New fare structure and 2005 service reductions
In May 2005, as the first phase of the two-part service reduction strategy, C-Tran introduced a new fare structure. Under this scheme, the previously All-Zone commuter services between Portland, Oregon and Clark County with the sole exception of the 165 – Parkrose Express were designated "Premium" routes (i.e., Routes 105, 114 that originate in Portland as "105–114", 134, 157, 164, 177 and 190 are all Premium services). No regular monthly or all-day passes from either TriMet or C-Tran were accepted on the Premium buses, unless a passenger purchased a $105 Premium pass (which is also valid as an All-Zone pass in C-Tran, Portland Streetcar and TriMet). A single-ride fare on a Premium bus became $3. Fares on Premium buses were collected as passengers board, and previously-allowed free rides within Portland's Fareless Square between
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decad ...
and the Pearl District were eliminated.
C-Tran issues and accepts All-Zone transfers upon request. Passengers who use a C-Zone fare must pay each time they board the bus or purchase a Day Pass, either a C-Zone day pass valid only on C-Tran Local and Limited routes or a GoAnywhere Express Day pass which is also valid on TriMet and the Portland Streetcar. Pursuant to the fare reciprocity agreement, C-Tran and TriMet continue to honor each other's All-Zone fare instruments.
C-Tran would have been forced to eliminate nearly half of all its transit services effective September 25, 2005 if additional funding had not been secured; however, a second ballot measure was passed that allowed for the preservation of current service levels (at that time), and additional service to be added to smaller cities such as Ridgefield and La Center. These changes helped return service to its pre-2000 levels.
C-Tran redistricting and new C-Tran benefit area ballot measure
On June 1, 2005, the boundaries of the Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area were reduced from the whole
Clark County to the area including only the cities of Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield,
La Center, Battle Ground and
Yacolt, as well as the
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
s surrounding Vancouver. This was done so that, unlike in the failed 2004 Proposition 1, only those who would benefit from C-Tran services will vote on any future ballot measure to secure new funding for the transit service.
C-Tran proposed a special election in September 2005 to decide on whether residents within the new C-Tran benefit area would pay an additional 0.2% (from 7.7% to 7.9% in Vancouver)
sales tax to maintain the current C-Tran service level.
The measure passed by a wide majority. The agency continues to operate, and now with fresh funding, is expanding.
2010s
After studies that had first taken place in 2008, plans were approved and finalized in 2012 for construction of a
bus rapid transit line, eventually named
The Vine
The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
(see
section below). It opened for service in January 2017.
In 2016–2017, C-Tran built a new transit center at
Vancouver Mall
Vancouver Mall is a shopping mall owned by Cenntenial Real Estate, and located in the city of Vancouver, Washington, U.S., which is within the Portland (Oregon) metropolitan area. It is anchored by Gold's Gym, H&M, JCPenney, Macy's, AMC, Hobby ...
, to replace an existing transit center on the mall's north side (opened in 1985) with a larger facility on the mall's south side. The new Vancouver Mall Transit Center opened in January 2017, on the same date that the Vine service began operating.
In June 2017, C-Tran hired Shawn M. Donaghy as its next Executive Director/CEO (effective June 26), under a three-year contract.
He replaced Jeff Hamm, who retired after more than 10 years as the agency's chief executive.
The agency was named the 2019 Transit System of the Year by the
American Public Transportation Association
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit group of approximately 1,500 public and private sector member organizations that promotes and advocates for the interests of the public transportation industry in the United S ...
.
Service
![C-Van paratransit van of C-Tran in older paint scheme (2017)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/C-Van_paratransit_van_of_C-Tran_in_older_paint_scheme_%282017%29.jpg)
C-Tran operates seven days a week. Sunday and holiday services are reduced, with trips to and from Portland being less frequent, and some express and limited routes may not run. Local service starts at about 6:15 am and ends about midnight. Weekday express and limited service to Portland begins at 5:20 am with the last trip to Vancouver at 7 pm. On weekends, there is no service to Portland excluding the 60 (Delta Park Limited) to
Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station and
Jantzen Beach and the 65 (Parkrose Limited) to
Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center. Weekend service on route 60 starts at about 6:30 am and the last trip from Delta Park/Vanport departs at midnight. Weekend service on route 65 starts at about 8:30 am with the last trip to Vancouver departing at about 6:40 pm. The Connector, a
dial-a-ride
Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...
service, runs from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm on weekdays.
C-Tran operates 17 local routes along with "C-Van"
paratransit
Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
and The Connector, a dial-a-ride service. Most routes can be expected to run every 15 to 70 minutes. The most-used routes are
The Vine
The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
and the 37 (Mill Plain/Fisher's).
C-Tran operates seven express routes to the
Portland Transit Mall
The Portland Transit Mall is a public transit corridor that travels north–south through the center of downtown in Portland, Oregon, United States. It comprises a pair of one-way streets—6th Avenue for northbound traffic and 5th Avenue for ...
. A ride on all these buses require an express fare, and transfers issued on these routes are valid for travel on all C-Tran and TriMet routes. In addition, C-Tran operates four
limited-stop
In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a co ...
routes; the 41 serves Fisher's Landing Transit Center and Downtown Vancouver, the 47 and 60 serve TriMet's Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station, and the 65 connects to TriMet's Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center. Except for the 41, a regional fare is required on these routes, which are valid for transferring to TriMet services.
The Vine
The Vine
The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
is a
bus rapid transit service along Fourth Plain Boulevard and Fort Vancouver Way between downtown Vancouver and
Vancouver Mall
Vancouver Mall is a shopping mall owned by Cenntenial Real Estate, and located in the city of Vancouver, Washington, U.S., which is within the Portland (Oregon) metropolitan area. It is anchored by Gold's Gym, H&M, JCPenney, Macy's, AMC, Hobby ...
. Ten new
low-floor
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
,
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were sometim ...
,
hybrid bus
A hybrid electric bus is a bus that combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These type of buses normally use a Diesel-electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid Diesel-elec ...
es provide service every 10–15 minutes in mixed traffic to curbside stations. The Vine replaced routes 4 and 44, which collectively carried over 6,000 trips daily. Among the project's expected benefits were that
transit signal priority
Bus priority or transit signal priority (TSP) is a name for various techniques to improve service and reduce delay for mass transit vehicles at intersections (or junctions) controlled by traffic signals. TSP techniques are most commonly associat ...
and off-board fare collection would increase the speed of the bus by about ten minutes compared to existing service. Studies on the corridor began in 2008, and funding for the $53 million project was approved in July 2014, with 80% federal money, 6% state, and 14% local. A full funding grant agreement for $38.5 million from the
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
was signed on September 10, 2015.
Construction began with a
groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...
ceremony held at the planned downtown terminus on August 24, 2015, and finished in January 2017. A grand opening ceremony was held on January 7, 2017, and it officially opened on January 8, 2017.
In November 2014, opponents of the projects filed a lawsuit challenging C-Tran's authority to use federal funds for bus rapid transit without voter approval.
Fares
Effective November 20, 2022, C-Tran cash fares are as follows:
* Local fares are valid only within Clark County and are not eligible for transfers.
* Regional fares are valid on all non-Express C-Tran & TriMet buses,
MAX Light Rail
The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five color-designated lines that altogether connect the six sectio ...
,
WES Commuter Rail
The Westside Express Service (WES) is a commuter rail line serving part of the Portland metropolitan area's Washington County and a small portion of Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned by TriMet and operated by Portland & West ...
and
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. The NS Line runs from Northwest Portland to the South Waterfront via Downtown and the Pearl District. The Lo ...
and are eligible for transfers upon request.
* Regional and Express fares are required for cross-river travel to Parkrose, Jantzen Beach and Delta Park.
* Express fares are valid on Express C-Tran routes, in addition to Regional benefits. Express fares are required for travel to/from Downtown Portland, Marquam Hill and the Lloyd District on express routes and are eligible for transfers upon request.
* Express fare exception: Honored passengers (Seniors and those with disabilities), and Medicare card holders can save 50% off Express cash fares by riding the 105 from 9 am–3 pm, weekdays only. Must present ID at boarding.
* Regional Day Pass is only available for sale on board a C-Tran bus or through Tri-Met.
* Youth (18 and under): Beginning October 1, 2022 anyone who is 18 years and younger can ride C-TRAN Local services for free including fixed-route, C-VAN paratransit (certain restrictions apply), The Current microtransit and Vanpool services. Additional charges apply if transferring to Regional and Express service, or to other transit systems.
Fare agreement with TriMet
C-Tran began issuing transfers again on September 1, 2007. In order to make travel between C-Tran and TriMet's systems easier, certain C-Tran fares are valid on TriMet, and vice versa. The following are the easiest reciprocal fares to use...
;C-Tran fares on TriMet
C-Tran issues transfers for its Regional and Express fares. All C-Tran Regional and Express regular or discounted fares and transfers are valid as Regional fares on any and all of TriMet's buses, MAX trains, WES and the Portland Streetcar. A C-Tran Express Day Pass is valid as a TriMet All-Day ticket. The
WSUV/
Clark College
Clark College is a public community college in Vancouver, Washington. With 11,500 students, Clark College is the largest institution of higher education in southwest Washington. Founded in 1933 as a private two-year junior college, Clark Colleg ...
BackPASS is not valid on TriMet. The express fares are valid on the
Portland Aerial Tram
The Portland Aerial Tram or OHSU Tram is an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, that connects the city's South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood. It is one ...
.
;TriMet fares on C-Tran
TriMet fares are valid as Regional fares on C-Tran except for the
Portland Public Schools Student Pass (it can be used as proof of age for youth fares) or TriMet Lift. A TriMet All-Day ticket is valid as a C-Tran day pass.
TriMet tickets and passes are accepted on C-Tran Local and Limited routes; TriMet fares are not accepted on C-Tran Express routes or C-Van; Unvalidated TriMet fares are same as cash, and upgrades are not available.
TriMet accepts C-Tran Regional and Express tickets and passes on all fixed route, WES, and MAX services; C-Tran fares are not valid on TriMet Lift (paratransit).
Only C-Tran express fares and passes are valid on C-Tran's express routes to downtown Portland.
;Unvalidated C-Tran/TriMet fares
Effective September 1, 2014, C-Tran and TriMet will no longer accept each other's unvalidated tickets or day passes. Passengers must start their trip on the system that issued their unvalidated fare.
Express punch cards will be provided with an Express transfer that allows for continued travel on TriMet, through the date and time indicated. Regional and Express day passes may be used on TriMet, once they have been validated by a C-Tran operator.
;TriMet Hop Fastpass
Starting in July 2017, TriMet implemented a shared pass system called
Hop Fastpass
Hop Fastpass is a contactless smart card for public transit fare payment on most transit modes in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area including MAX Light Rail, WES commuter rail, Portland Streetcar, The Vine, and all TriMet and C-TRAN bu ...
that is valid for TriMet, C-Tran, and Portland Streetcar fares.
The system uses contactless cards and smartphone payments.
Fleet
C-Tran has several "community buses" that are wrapped in photographs and designs to reflect local communities in Clark County. They debuted in 2019 and include seven city wraps and an eighth for unincorporated Clark County.
Current fixed-route bus fleet
:'
Current C-Van paratransit bus fleet
:'
References
External links
C-Tran
{{Portland Transit
Bus transportation in Washington (state)
Bus transportation in Oregon
Transportation in Clark County, Washington
Transportation in Vancouver, Washington
Transit agencies in Washington (state)
1981 establishments in Washington (state)