Photo credit: Nathan Miller

August 4, 2025 3:20 a.m.

The Umpqua Public Transit District recently announced the indefinite suspension of all its weekend transit service, beginning this Saturday, August 9th.

A UPTD release said the move is due to a statewide funding freeze and a breakdown in federal disbursements.

Despite maintaining full compliance with all state and federal requirements, the agency has not received its expected federal funding for the current quarter. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, districts like UP will not receive federal reimbursements until at least the middle of the first quarter of 2026.

UPTD CEO Ben Edtl said, “This crisis is the direct result of bureaucratic gridlock, both at the federal level with the Federal Transit Administration processing delays and at the state level with ODOT’s funding freeze”. Edtl said, “Every special district in Oregon is going to feel this pain”.

The release said UPTD must cut $200,000 in spending between now and early 2026 to keep weekday service in Douglas County. These cuts would be insurmountable if not for the district’s hard won $600,000 in biennial savings, that Edtl said were achieved through smarter route design and improved fleet management.

Edtl said eliminating weekend service is not enough. Additional cuts are being planned. UPTD will publicly announce any additional cuts that affect service and ridership. Look for updates at: www.umpquatransit.org