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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ticket availability ... RVTD's Saturday bus service resumes this Saturday ... Ticket availability ... Ticket availability ... RVTD's Saturday bus service resumes this Saturday ... Ticket availability ... TRANSPORTATION RVTD's Saturday bus service resumes this Saturday Comment By Caitlin Fowlkes For the Tribune DailyTidings.com By Caitlin Fowlkes For the Tribune Posted Jul. 7, 2016 at 7:48 PM By Caitlin Fowlkes For the Tribune Posted Jul. 7, 2016 at 7:48 PM » Social News Starting Saturday, people needing to go places will have access to expanded bus service, including service on Saturdays, more routes and increased frequency on specific routes, the Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) has announced. In honor of the new Saturday service, a “First Saturday Celebration” is set for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 9, at the Front Street Station in downtown Medford. Saturday service runs from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. every hour depending on individual bus routes starting this Saturday. All bus fares and Valley Lift services will be free this Saturday. The celebration includes music from The Bear Creek Band, games, refreshments and information on the expanded services. Booths and information will be available from RVTD and Rogue Valley Clean City Coalition. United Way of Jackson County will demonstrate how to use the bike share at Front Street Station. “We have some people that have never ridden the public service before and since it’s free they’re willing to try,” said Paige Townsend, RVTD support services manager. “We like to make ourselves available to help people figure out what routes work best for them.” The expanded service is funded by a ballot measure increasing property taxes approved by the community in May. This measure will pay for the expanded services for five years. “We’re hoping to try to find other stable funding to be able to provide these services (once the measure is expired),” said Julie Brown, RVTD general manager. “We’re hoping to go out for another ballot or that state legislature will start funding public transit statewide.” The Saturday service will run as follows: Routes 10 (Ashland), 40 (Central Point) and 2 (West Medford) starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Routes 21 (Poplar Drive Medford), 24 (Rogue Valley Medical Center) and 60 (White City) starts at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 3:30 with the exception of route 60, which will run until 4:30 p.m. Route 30 (Jacksonville) will have limited service on Saturday and runs at 8:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Along with Saturday service, the measure also allows for increased frequency in specific routes. Tuesday updated route 24 to Rogue Valley Medical Center for buses to run every half hour. Route 10 to Ashland will run every 20 minutes beginning Tuesday, Sept. 6. A new route will be added to Rogue Community College and surrounding areas in White City Monday, September 26, according to Brown. Another new route to South Medford High School and surrounding area will be implemented in the spring of 2017, according to Townsend. From 2012 to 2015, RTVD offered a Saturday service and learned from passenger surveys that more than 40 percent would not have transportation on Saturdays if the bus service was not available. The service was then funded by a temporary federal grant. Once the grant expired in 2015, RVTD had to cancel the Saturday service. Passenger surveys also showed the need for extended service on route 24, especially among East Medford residents traveling to and from downtown Medford, according to a document released by RVTD. Tidings intern Caitlin Fowlkes can be contacted at [email protected]. By Caitlin Fowlkes For the Tribune DailyTidings.com By Caitlin Fowlkes For the Tribune Posted Jul. 7, 2016 at 7:48 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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