New OCF bus shuttles locals
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Preparing for the OCF is fun, hard work! Just before the lunchbell sounds, a pack of OCF volunteers take a spin on one of the many diesel worktrucks, all of which are powered by biofuels... Story on page 28 |
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For the first time, Veneta and Fern Ridge residents can take a free local shuttle to the Oregon Country Fair, now in its 39th year. The shuttle comes courtesy of a partnership between the City of Veneta and the fair itself.
The locals-only shuttle, meant to ease traffic congestion on the routinely congested Hwy. 126, will allow area fairgoers a way to get to the festivities easily and cheaply, said Ric Ingham, Veneta’s city administrator.
“There has always been a free shuttle from Eugene,” Ingham said, “but never from Veneta. For our residents to get to the Fair for free, they’d have to drive into Eugene.” Parking at the event is $5, and carpooling or alternative transportation is highly encouraged.
With gas prices reaching historical highs, Ingram said the timing would be good for residents’ wallets, as well.
Thomas Cotter, president of Veneta’s city council, agreed with Ingham and said he’s been waiting years for such a service to materialize, offering the same benefits to residents that had for years been available to the Fair’s out-of-town visitors.
“The idea was to cut down on traffic,” Cotter said. “All we did was shuffle people back and forth to Zumwalt Park while people from Veneta had to drive. That seemed silly.”
Four round-trips will be scheduled on all three days of the Fair, July 11-13, capable of carrying about 42 adults in each big yellow school bus. Tickets are available for pickup at Veneta City Hall between July 7-11, and each person can claim up to four tickets for family members or friends. Because the service is restricted to local area residents, people wanting the rides will be asked for proof of residency in the form of a picture ID or even a utility bill. A total of 174 tickets will be printed for each day.
The buses will depart from Veneta Elementary School on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and will return at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Ingram said he’s hopeful the local shuttle will be a permanent fixture to the summer Fair schedule.
“We do view this as a trial basis this year,” he said, optimistic that enough residents will take advantage of the free ride to continue to do it in future years.
Charles Ruff, the Oregon Country Fair’s assistant manager for the past four years, said he sees the local shuttle service as an indication of just how far “under the bridge” the past conflicts between the city’s residents and the Fair have drifted. In the ’90s, the relationship between the city and the Fair itself soured after fairgoers were involved in incidents involving alcohol and drugs that impacted the community at large.
Mindy Sanford, who coordinates Fair planning for the City of Veneta, agrees that the relationship between the city and the Fair is running smoothly these days.
“We don’t really have any major problems anymore,” she said after a June 19 pre-Fair planning meeting where plans for the new shuttle service were discussed.
“I’ve got a leg on both sides of the fence here,” said Ruff, a Veneta resident.
Ruff said he and his co-workers have gone out of their way to minimize impact on his community over a weekend that will draw at least 45,000 visitors to the area. “It certainly puts a strain on the infrastructure for a finite period of time.”
“We’re trying to foster communication and a collaborative spirit,” Ruff said. “We’re a community within a community. But we’re still all one community.”