Tribal Transit – Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

In the northeast corner of Oregon lies the Umatilla Indian Reservation. It’s here where the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation operates a transit system. Originally, the system only served destinations within the actual reservation boundaries with a few routes. Since that time, the system has greatly expanded it’s service range, and now operates with 7 routes covering a span from the Tri-Cities WA to La Grande OR and from Walla Walla WA to Pilot Rock OR.

The system is primarily catered towards members of the tribe, but any member of the general public is able to ride. There are no fares charged for the service either. Most routes run 3 times a day Monday-Friday, with limited Saturday service on a few.

Ever since I first learned about the system several years ago, I’ve noticed that the tribe always does a good job with their published schedules. Maps are another story however. As the system is primarily catered to members of the tribe who live on the reservation, it seems that the planners have an assumption that riders are already familiar with the destinations served. This isn’t always the case though. In the last few years, people living in Pendleton have started using the system more, as the city only has a demand-response system operated by a local cab company.

As readers of my blog know, I like making my own maps, so I thought I’d take a shot at making one for the CTUIR Transit System. After about 10 minutes of work, this is what I ended up with:

For more information about the CTUIR Transit System, including schedules, go to the following website: http://www.umatilla.nsn.us/bus.html