Cascades East Transit has added new weekday bus service between Madras, Redmond, and Bend as part of a mid-June expansion of regional transit service across Central Oregon, giving Jefferson County residents a midday travel option that has long been missing.

The key new addition for Jefferson County riders: a weekday bus departing from the Madras DMV and the Redmond Transit Hub at 11:30 a.m., running in both directions. The new trip covers Routes 22 and 24 along the Highway 97 corridor and addresses a gap that left riders without a midday option if they missed morning buses.

CET also added three new weekday morning trips between Redmond and Bend, departing at 5:30, 6:30, and 10:00 a.m. — aimed primarily at commuters who need to reach Bend for early work shifts.

What It Means for Jefferson County Riders

For Madras, Culver, and Metolius residents who rely on public transit to reach medical appointments, shopping, social services, or employment in Redmond or Bend, the midday option is a meaningful improvement. Rural transit gaps hit hardest for people without reliable vehicles — seniors, people with disabilities, low-income households, and young adults who cannot afford car ownership.

CET’s regional routes have historically been concentrated in morning and afternoon peak windows, leaving anyone who needed to travel midday with limited options. The new 11:30 a.m. trip partially addresses that gap.

Tradeoffs in Redmond

The expansion comes with some service reductions within Redmond itself. CET is cutting the frequency of its Redmond Flex A and B local routes due to lower ridership than projected. “Our peak times are approximately 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’ve had to decrease the amount of times we service the area just based on ridership. Our goal is to increase the ridership in the coming year,” said Andrea Wasilew, CET’s outreach and engagement administrator.

The agency brought back fares earlier in 2026 after a period of free service funded through pandemic-era federal relief. The return to fares may be a factor in ridership trends across the network.

Getting to Warm Springs and Beyond

CET also operates Route 21, which connects the Warm Springs Reservation, Kah-Nee-Ta, Simnasho, and Madras. That route launched in May 2025 and remains in operation.

For current schedules, fares, and route maps, visit cascadeseasttransit.com or call the Cascades East Ride Center. Riders can also download the Transit app to track bus arrivals in real time.