South Metro Area Rapid Transit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
South Metro Area Rapid Transit (SMART) is a small public transit system operated by the city government of Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. The system currently consists of five routes and is funded by local businesses. It was created when Wilsonville petititioned to withdraw from the TriMet service district in the late 1980s.
[edit] Services
SMART has two routes that serve only Wilsonville, going east-west and north-south. However, it is unusual in that the three other routes go well beyond the city limits (and the entities who pay for the service). One route heads north to Tualatin and southern Portland, connecting with TriMet, and another goes southeast to the city of Canby, connecting with Canby Area Transit. The third route is most unusual; it makes an almost 30-mile, non-stop run to Salem, with connections to Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots).
Until Fall 2005, no fares were charged for any SMART routes. As of 2006, only rides within Wilsonville are free. In 2008, the Washington County Commuter Rail line is planned to start connecting with SMART buses.
Overall, with time, patience, and two or three transfers, it is possible to use public transit to travel between Portland and Salem. Using SMART is cheaper than taking direct (and faster) Greyhound or Amtrak Cascades service.
