Cascade East Transit launched two free bus routes in Redmond a month ago, but riders don’t seem to know much about it.

One route serves south and east Redmond, stopping at Bi-Mart, the Redmond Airport and a number of locations along the way. Route B serves the north and west parts of town, stopping at Walmart, Redmond High School, St. Charles hospital and additional stops.

The routes operate weekdays every 45 minutes with a carrying capacity of 22 passengers. The first bus starts at 7:30 a.m. and the last ends around 6 p.m. each night. A list of times and more information can be found on Cascades East Transit’s website.

The buses are different than fixed route options. They have flexible stops where riders can request specific pick up or drop off points, making it more effective for elderly and disabled users.

“If riders can’t use these stops or need to be picked up somewhere like at their home or their business or doctor’s office, they can call ahead,” said CET Outreach and Engagement Administrator Derek Hofbauer. “We’re using smaller buses so they’re a little more nimble, they’re able to get into neighborhoods easily and don’t take up a lot of space on the road.”

These flexible stops can be requested by calling (541) 385-8680 at least by 4 p.m. the day before your ride. The requested stops need to be within a quarter of a mile from the designated route.

“You can schedule trips up to 30 days in advance so you can book a whole week’s worth of trips (at once),” Hofbauer said.

These flexible stops can accommodate those who have a harder time getting around town by themselves. As part of CET’s outreach, the team put together an event July 3 to show Redmond Senior Center citizens how to use the bus, complete with trivia and a look back at Redmond’s history.

According to SeniorLiving.org, most seniors stop or reduce their driving in their mid-70s. Losing the freedom of driving can make them feel more isolated and alone, said Redmond senior Bobbie Cramer. That, in turn, can impact their physical health.

“The isolation that people impose on themselves when they can’t drive anymore is really terrible,” Cramer said. “It’s a real mental decline.”

Although Cramer still drives, she’s thankful for the new bus system. Cramer drives her friends around town the best she can, but “there’s a real need for them to be independent,” she said.

Randy Graves, Redmond Senior Center operations manager, said that about 30% of Redmond’s population are 65 years or older, making the demand for reliable buses and transportation.

“Based on the popularity of this event, (the seniors) are going to be my new partners,” Hofbauer said, laughing. “We’re just trying to have a system that works for our community members and to have people enjoy it.”

According to Hofbauer, each driver will help passengers board and ride if extra assistance is needed. These items can include grocery bags, wheelchairs and walkers.

Cramer said the bus system is “a big step forward,” allowing people to ride around town for free and to places they actually want or need to stop at. However, she explained the importance for elderly people to “buddy-up” so they’d feel more inclined to ride the bus — either being accompanied by a family member, caregiver or friend.

Diana Barker, a senior and citizen of Redmond for about 60 years, said she still drives and normally won’t take the bus, but she’s glad knows about the new routes.

“I think it would be great to get a book, hop on (the bus) and drive around,” Barker said.

As Redmond continues to grow and the new bus routes gain traction, Hofbauer hopes to add two or three more routes to cover other parts of the city, including more residential routes through southwest and northwest Redmond.