Looking for a Great Way to Get Around? Try Transit!
Cascade East Transit is offering free rides, expanded service, and fantastic prizes from June 2—8 during Try Transit Week!
Meet Derek
We checked in with Derek Hofbauer, Outreach and Engagement Administrator at Cascades East Transit, to learn more about the people who are improving our transportation options in Central Oregon.
Derek taking advantage of CET’s transportation options.
COLW: Tell us a bit about your job and what you enjoy.
DH: My role at Cascades East Transit (CET) is to promote our regional transit services, policies, and initiatives via CET’s website, social media, newsletters, and events. I also manage five regional transit advisory committees that provide recommendations for CET’s operations and funding.
I love traveling to different communities throughout Central Oregon and collaborating with partner agencies and community organizations to ensure our transit system is safe, reliable, and accessible.
I also enjoy riding the bus and talking to riders about their experiences using transit. Those stories provide me with a unique perspective and understanding of how people of all ages and abilities use transit to connect to jobs, schools, medical appointments, grocery stores, and other important destinations.
COLW: What transit background do you bring to this role?
DH: In 2005, I managed a travel behavior change program in Portland, Oregon to encourage residents to walk, roll, take transit, and carpool for more of their trips. The program was focused on promoting TriMet’s new Yellow Line MAX. I frequently rode light rail and buses in Portland to promote the program, as well as for my commute to work.
Personally, I’m also an avid cyclist and I combine bike and bus trips to allow for greater flexibility and to incorporate exercise into my daily routine.
Car shuttling logistics keeping you from sending sweet drops? Just take the Transit to Trails Shuttle and avoid the hassle altogether.
COLW: Favorite bus route, go!
DH: In Bend, that’s Route 2. It departs from Hawthorne Station and connects to downtown and The Old Mill District. I often use that route to visit downtown shops and restaurants and for the occasional trip to REI.
I also really enjoy riding CET’s recreation services such as the Mt. Bachelor Transit to Trails Shuttle that stops at popular hiking and mountain biking trailheads and utilizes a 20-bike trailer for securing bikes. We see a lot of parents dropping off their kids at the Mt. Bachelor Park & Ride on SW Columbia and Simpson to ride the shuttle and spend their summer days at the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park. It’s great to see the younger generation utilizing public transportation – they are our future generation of bus riders!
Hawthorne Station, located in the Bend Central District at NE Hawthorne Ave and NE 4th St, is Bend’s main transit hub. Photo: CET
COLW: What’s new at Hawthorne Station?
DH: So much. CET recently added new amenities at Hawthorne Station, Bend’s main transit hub, that include heated sidewalks, EV charging stations, new bus shelters, and a covered bike parking area with a bike fix-it station. These improvements provide a safer and more accessible experience using transit in Bend. All of CET’s buses are ADA accessible to ensure older adults and people with disabilities can get to where they need to go by riding a CET bus.
It can be easier than you think to add a little transit action to your life. With the hotter days of summer upon us, consider taking advantage of CET’s Ride the River Shuttle! Photo: CET
COLW: How can Bendites incorporate transit into their lives?
DH: I’d think Bendites should try riding the bus at least once per week to get to their destinations.
Starting June 2, 2025, CET is expanding service hours in Bend from 6 am to 7:30 pm, providing new opportunities for folks to commute to work or school. Route 8 will also be operational this summer, which will connect residents in NE Bend to transit services in Bend and beyond. CET also increased the frequency of our regional Community Connector routes, which provides increased flexibility for traveling to the nearby cities of Redmond, Madras, Sisters, La Pine, and Prineville.
And, as many Bendites know, you can utilize CET’s recreation services to explore the outdoors. During epic powder days, the Mt. Bachelor Ski Bus is full of happy skiers and snowboarders. Come summer, CET’s Ride the River Shuttle transports thousands of river floaters between Farewell Bend Park and Drake Park. Those services are extremely valuable for reducing traffic and CO2 emissions, as well as keeping parking availability for locals and visitors to explore downtown Bend amenities.
Transit makes it easy to explore the town, and not have to worry about traffic and parking. Let CET do the driving!
Cascades East Transit (CET) is operated by Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC).
Ready to Try Transit in Your Life?
Try Transit Week
LandWatch staff is excited to celebrate Try Transit Week by taking advantage of CET’s numerous quality transportation options.
See you on the bus!