Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots), Salem, OR, officially opened the new Keizer Transit Center in ribbon-cutting ceremonies July 1. More than 100 business, community, and transportation leaders and citizens attended the event.

The new station—described as a “jewel of a project”—is an example of sustainable design that reflects the agency’s strategic approach to service, according to Salem-Keizer Transit General Manager Allan Pollock.

“The new center helps define the ‘3Cs’ transit model, which includes transit centers, circulators in neighborhoods, and high-frequency corridor routes,” said Pollock. “It is one of four planned transit centers in our service area.”

Sustainable design features in the facility include a green roof, solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and rain gardens. The center includes a waiting area, public restrooms, a meeting room, and driver break rooms. Also on site is a park-and-ride that offers charging stations for up to five electric vehicles.

The $8.1 million cost for the public transit center came from a combination of federal and state funds, with no local funding required.

The design of the new Keizer Transit Center incorporates sustainable design features such as rain gardens and native plants.