Our History  

South Lane Wheels began “rolling” in November 1980. The South Lane Wheels Board of Directors was formed under the sponsorship of the United Methodist Church in Cottage Grove which applied for a one-time grant of State Older Americans Act money administered by LCOG (Lane Council of Governments). The money was for the purchase of a  “fully-equipped” vehicle, but provided no operating money. The church continued to sponsor the program  until South Lane Wheels became a corporation with its own tax-exempt status in 1983.

With the appointment of a new Board of Directors, and with the help of Methodist Minister, Karl Evans, the group searched for funding in several areas. The first such funding came from the federal government's  “Green Thumb” that was used to hire two part-time drivers, a part-time dispatcher and a maintenance person. SLW also applied for a Vista (Volunteers in Service to America) Grant and hired Diana Gatchell to fill the position in 1981. Herm Williamsen was board president at this time.

The new transportation service was to operate on a semi-fixed route schedule. It ran on Mondays to Lorane and Creswell, Tuesdays to Row River Road and Mosby Creek, Wednesdays to London, Thursdays within Cottage Grove, and Fridays back to Lorane. A church schedule was also established for Sundays. This "fixed” schedule was used for a short while until it became apparent there were not enough passengers to even pay for the gas to run the long routes.

Major problems occurred in the spring of 1981, when the federal Green Thumb money ceased. After “begging” for a six-month extension for two half-time positions. South Lane Wheels kept running and applied for NCOA (National Council of Aging) to pay for a part-time office worker.  

During the first two years, the Vista worker’s goals included working with the Board to develop office procedures, secure permanent funding, develop reliable reporting systems, secure federal tax exempt and corporate status, strengthen the Board and continue to recruit new drivers.

A number of these goals were accomplished with the help of a “task force” chaired by Dr. Marshal Keating, then superintendent of school for District 45 J-3. The Task Force's mission was to strengthen the funding base of South Lane Wheels. It was this group that helped facilitate funding support by LCOG Senior Services, Adult & Family services. Edgewood Nursing Home (now Coast Fork Nursing Center), the Cities of Cottage Grove and Creswell and the United way of Lane County.

The LCOG funds, which were from the Older American Act, were discontinued when Special Transportation Funds became available.

In 1983, the program hired its first paid Director and successfully completed a 16(b) (2) grant for another vehicle, which arrived the summer of 1984. The beloved "Gray Ghost" was retired. The program also moved from the church's basement in the fall of 1984 to 647 N. 9th, to share office space with Community Sharing and Cottage Grove Recreation Association. All three nonprofit programs moved again in the fall of 1988, to 20 Thornton Lane. The basic shell of the building was remodeled using donated materials and volunteer labor. Responsibility for the building was maintained by the Community Chest Board of Directors, composed of community members and representatives from all three agencies housed in the building.

The fleet of vehicles was expanded in 1988 and 1990, with the addition of two more vehicles obtained through the Urban Mass Transit Act (UMTA) 16 (B) (2) grant process. These two vehicles were funded 80% with 16 (6) (2) funds and 20% with Special Transportation Fund (STF) dollars which became available through a one cent tax on cigarettes in 1987, and is distributed on a per capita basis by Lane Council of Governments. Operating funds, as well as capital funds, are also available through the STF grant process that become South Lane Wheels’ major funding source.

Other important funding comes from the Board of Directors’ annual fund raisers: The Community Calendar (1986), which features local photographs and community-wide events, and from The Special Friends Campaign 1984), a targeted letter solicitation campaign conducted by Board members.

SLW moved into its new complex at 1450 Birch Avenue, the site of the old Cottage Grove Community Hospital Internal Medicine Clinic in 2004. The new facility provides secure storage for vans and a building that is currently being renovated for use by SLW, the Cottage Grove Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and Planned Parenthood. When the building is total renovated, at least two more nonprofit organizations will be able to move into the facility. It is now called the Churchill Center for Nonprofit Excellence in memory of Minnie Churchill whose estate paid off the buildilng's mortgage.  

FUNDING

The Special Friends Campaign still continues to be an annual funding source for South Lane Wheels. Funds are also received from United Way, private and business donations, and contracts. In 1993 additional funds from the Cottage Grove Hospital started to be made available. The name of the organization was changed from Senior Wheels to South Lane Wheels in 1992 to more approximate the geographic operation area of South Lane County and to reflect the ridership.

Lane Transit District impacted South Lane Wheels service after the initial pilot program from September of 1997 through September of 1998, when the Cottage Grove voters eliminated the program. At that time South Lane Wheels began a “shuttle service” connecting to the LTD stop in Creswell. Two morning runs and three afternoon runs connected bus commuters to LTD in Creswell for a fifty-cent fare. This fare was supplemented by our first allocation of 531“rolling” funding, Federal Small Cities and Rural Transportation Grant. This service ended on June 30, 1999 when the City of Cottage Grove declined to provide matching funds requested by South Lane Wheels. In November of 1999 Cottage Grove voters approved joining the LTD service area by a narrow margin. Limited service began in January of 2000, with fully implemented commuter service as of February 2000. When South Lane Wheels “shuttle” service ended we directed our 531“rolling” funds to include general public in our regular demand response service. At this point our general public ridership increases everyday.

Ridership has continued to increase. The addition of the General Public riders and the Board of Directors directive in December of 1999 to add ambulatory riders to Eugene/Springfield metro trips has been the majority of the increase, although the demand-response trips continue to increase at a steady rate.

Today, SLW serves more than 25,000 riders and travels more than 200,000 miles per year. All riders pay a fee for the transportation, but for those who still cannot afford the already subsidized fare, SLW initiated the "Fair Fare" program that further subsidizes rides. All participants in the Fair Fare program pay a nominal $1 charge per authorized trip.