RiverCities

Transit

With their sponsorship, RiverCities Transit celebrates its mission to enhance our community ... to provide for the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of passengers in a friendly manner, while partnering with our community to improve the transportation systems.

History of Public Transit in Longview

1922 - 1964: Longview Public Service Company

September 1922: Bus #1 goes into service

By November 1924

According to Bus Transportation magazine, Nov 1924:

• 8 White Company buses operate 12- to 15-min. headways, 16 hours per day.

• Drivers work 10-hour shifts and help maintain the buses.

• Fares are $0.05 per zone (equal to $0.87 per zone today)

• Zone 1 from Kelso to Broadway

• Zone 2 from Broadway to St. Helens Additions

• Zone 3 from St. Helens to ferry dock or Long-Bell mill

(c. 1945 - 1955) Name changes to Longview-Kelso Bus Company

1964: Sold by Long-Bell, operated by private providers until 1975.

June 1975: City of Longview, with City of Kelso cooperation, commences emergency bus service when the private provider suspends service; leases electric bus.

September 1975: Longview City Council authorizes purchase of assets of Longview-Kelso Bus Company. Service renamed Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS) (per Longview City Council minutes, Sept. 11, 1975).

1987: The Cowlitz Transit Authority (CTA) forms after Kelso and Longview residents vote for the Public Transit Benefit Area sales tax. CTA contracts with the City of Longview to continue the service.

2012: CUBS rebrands as RiverCities Transit.

2020: New RiverCities Transit Center opens.

The Long View Project would be impossible without the financial and creative support of our sponsor partners. During the coming year the Reader will feature brief profiles of these partners — highlighting their relationship to Longview and interest in its history.