EDITOR’S NOTE: There is a humanitarian crisis in our own backyard. The sudden shut-down of Sunset Empire Transportation District is impacting hundreds of people. Little to no service has been restored (limited paratransit – see more below), and people are left with few options. Definitely not affordable ones. We’ve had stories shared about people who have come to the Oregon Coast with just enough money to get here with a final destination of Seaside or Astoria, but they are stuck in Tillamook County without enough money to get back to the valley and no options. Lanicia Duke sent this open letter to the state, reaching out for assistance. Clatsop County needs an organized Ride Share program, vouchers for taxis and much more. Tillamook County Transportation District has been providing assistance with some medical and Dial-a-Ride needs. Clatsop Behaviorial Healthcare has quickly onboarded drivers and have made their drivers available to the community for medical appointments (see information below.) Here is an appealfrom Lanicia Duke, who started her journey here on the North Oregon Coast to form the Black Rural Network. She has been advocating at the state level for assistance for Clatsop and Columbia County residents, and for the region to step up and help out as service disruptions continue with no idea of when they might resume.
Dear Oregon,
Clatsop and Columbia counties need your help. On April 29th, Sunset Empire Transportation District (SETD) abruptly shut its doors because they ran out of money. What does this mean?
The most vulnerable and transit dependent in our communities are suffering and unfortunately there is no urgency to find solutions to make sure people can get to work, medical services, grocery stores, pharmacies or anywhere else for that matter. Could you imagine becoming homeless because you can’t get work through no fault of your own? Or consider not being able to feed your family because you have to take a more expensive mode of transportation when the bus pass you bought holds absolutely no value, again, through no fault of your own.
There’s a lot of blame to go around but in the meantime hundreds if not thousands of people are affected not just in Clatsop and Columbia counties but Tillamook county and further south. Tourists can no longer take the bus from Portland to Cannon Beach or Astoria (which is definitely the least of the effects of the transit issue.)
I have several calls to action but this email has one. I need your help. Even though the state has authorized a loan of $500k, the busses still aren’t running as of May 9, 2023. The executive director of SETD has resigned. There are definitely audits and investigations that need to take place. In the meantime, people need public transportation. Services will hopefully come back soon but they will be limited. At least 40 SETD employees are not working. They too are impacted in a way that could force them into poverty.
Will you please help me help my community? It may seems selfish, but this could happen in any community. Could you imagine if Portland lost its bus service because no one was paying attention and just one day they close the doors with no answers? There would be outrage, and rightfully so.
If you can advocate in your work spaces, please do so. If you can advocate as a resident of Oregon who cares about the entire state, especially those most vulnerable, please join me in reaching out to anyone you think may have a way to get people back on their feet before they falter with even less help to get back up.
Please consider using your voice to help our communities.
Seasoned with love,