PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon Department of Transportation’s POINT bus is adding two daily runs between Portland and Eugene to its schedule, just in time for the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
ODOT announced the service increase Wednesday. The department said the two runs it’s bringing back had been suspended during the pandemic.
One route runs from Portland to Eugene and the other from Eugene to Portland. They’ll operate on an express schedule, meaning the only stop they’ll make between the two destinations will be in Salem.
“We found in our recent surveys a common desire for fewer stops and faster travel times. Fewer stops means less delay for our riders, especially when there is heavy traffic,” said POINT project manager Joel Manning. “With gas prices being so high, we want to do all we can to provide an alternative to driving.”
Oregon state officials expect tens of thousands of people will be visiting the state for the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. The track and field event takes place July 15-24.
ODOT recently lowered fares on this route by 15% in response to the current economic conditions.
The new express routes will continue through summer 2022 and potentially beyond, depending on how frequently they’re used.
Other POINT buses will continue to serve Tualatin, Woodburn and Albany as normal.
Riders can purchase POINT tickets from Amtrak.