Records and recollections are sparse or non-existent
for the period between 1927 and 1979. Anecdotal information
suggests that during part of the 1930s the buses were operated
by a subsidiary of Greyhound Lines. By 1946 Oregon Motor Stages
was operating the bus systems in both Salem and Eugene. The
owner of Oregon Motor Stages might have been Barney Royce
of Portland. The General Manager in both Salem and Eugene
might have been Carl Wendt. In Salem the buses ran from 6:15
am to 12:15 am Monday through Saturday and 8:15 am to midnight
on Sunday. These were the days before and after World War
II when people did not own cars and could not get gasoline
or tires even if they had owned an auto. Service extended
to outlying towns. One bus traveled to Silverton and one to
Falls City. In both cases the driver stayed overnight and
brought the bus back to Salem with a full load the next morning.
Throughout the '50s the buses were operated
on a contract with a private operator. The adult fare was
six cents. City Transit went bankrupt in 1959 and was sold
to the bus operators and mechanics operating as Capitol Transit
until 1966 when by public vote it was decided that transit
service should be absorbed by the City of Salem. During this
time separate small bus companies, some only one or two person
operations, provided service in West Salem and in a loop around
the outlying districts of Salem. When Oregon Motor Stages
determined to take over an independent, suburban loop route
which was operated by Dwight Wyatt during the late '40s they
ran a bus five minutes ahead of the existing bus and forced
it out of business. Robert Covert and his wife drove one route
in West Salem for many years with each driving nine-hour shifts.
The West Salem route merged into Capitol Transit in 1963 or
1964. Salaries were low and it was not uncommon for drivers
to work seventy hours per week.
The name "Cherriots' was chosen from
an entry by Kenneth Yost in a "Nickname Your City Bus"
contest. Mr. Yost was awarded a $50.00 gift certificate.
New buses were purchased and, with much hope
and fanfare, upgraded service was begun. The first Transit
Superintendent for the City of Salem was A. R. Hampton who
was appointed in 1966. His background was in the trucking
industry.
These were turbulent times with the nation
engulfed in the Vietnam War, severe gasoline shortages from
time to time, and the continuation of dependency on the private
automobile which had been heavily promoted after World War
II. Public transit nationwide suffered through a severe decline
as suburbanization and the movement away from centralization
of services took hold. When Senate Bill 100, calling for the
establishment of urban growth boundaries, was passed during
the administration of Governor Tom McCall Oregon began the
road away from uncontrolled growth. With many advances and
retreats the concept has held through the year 2000. Oregon
is nationally recognized as a leader in urban planning.
Growth of transit in Salem during the '70s
was slow. In 1976 the system had 22 buses, carried 3500 rides
per weekday, and 1200 rides on Saturday. The adult fare was
thirty cents. In those years it became apparent that public
transit needed to be a separate entity, with its own funding
and administration. It had to be able to go to the voters
and present its needs without having to compete with the other
services for which the City was responsible. After several
attempts to get public approval the Salem Area Mass Transit
District was formed.
Compiled by Clarence Pugh, Salem Area Transit
Bibliography:
Pete Lorensen, Salem Area Transit Operator and Operations
Superintendent. July 2000 interview.
Arthur "Doug" Johnson, Salem Area Transit Operator.
July 2000 interview.
John Whittington, Director of Transit Services, Salem Area
Transit. July 2000
