Buses in Salem

Buses In Salem: A Process of Maturation (1927-1979)

Records and recollections are sparse or non-existent for the period between 1927 and 1979. Anecdotal information suggests that during part of the 1930s the buses were operated by a subsidiary of Greyhound Lines. By 1946 Oregon Motor Stages was operating the bus systems in both Salem and Eugene. The owner of Oregon Motor Stages might have been Barney Royce of Portland. The General Manager in both Salem and Eugene might have been Carl Wendt. In Salem the buses ran from 6:15 am to 12:15 am Monday through Saturday and 8:15 am to midnight on Sunday. These were the days before and after World War II when people did not own cars and could not get gasoline or tires even if they had owned an auto. Service extended to outlying towns. Learn More

Salem Area Mass Transit District (1979-2001)

In 1979, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 462, and the Governor signed it into law on July 27th of that year. The bill provided a procedure through which the voters could create transit districts. Such a district could have an outer boundary no greater than the Urban Growth Boundary of a city as of January 1, 1977. Chapter 267 of Oregon Revised Statutes defined the rules governing formation and operation of such a District. Learn More

Facts About Courthouse Square

Courthouse Square is the fifth tallest building in Salem.  Other tall buildings in Salem include Capitol Center, the First Methodist Church, the Oregon State Capitol and the Equitable Center. There are more than 300,000 bricks and paving stones in the building and transit mall.  There are 90 miles of telephone and data cable in the building.  There is enough concrete in Courthouse Square to pave a sidewalk from Salem to Portland.  The Courthouse Square building has 152,000 square feet, the transit mall is 67,000 square feet. Courthouse Square is a “green” designated building using earth friendly construction materials. Learn More

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This article originally appeared on the original Salem Online History site and has not been updated since 2006.