Cherriots says diesel buses remain part of its regular active fleet, even as the Salem-Keizer transit agency continues expanding its battery-electric bus program and promoting Route 11 as its Zero Emissions Corridor.
The clarification comes as riders continue seeing diesel buses in service while Cherriots highlights its transition toward lower-emission vehicles. In response to questions from Salem Business Journal, Cherriots Marketing and Communications Manager Megan Schmitt said the agency currently has 70 large buses in service, including 24 diesel buses that run on renewable diesel, or R-99.
Schmitt said those buses “have been part of our fleet for years” and that their continued use “is not because of breakdowns or service problems, but because Cherriots employs a diverse fleet that contributes to more resilient service.”
That response answers one part of the question raised by riders who may expect a fully electric operation when they see Route 11 described as the system’s Zero Emissions Corridor. According to Cherriots, diesel buses are not being used only as emergency replacements or because the agency has stepped back from electrification. Instead, the agency says those buses remain part of the normal operating fleet while the transition continues.
At the same time, Cherriots’ own reporting shows the shift to electric service has not been without operational challenges.
In its FY25 Annual Performance Report, the agency said its battery-electric buses encountered problems after entering service, including buses being removed from service mid-day because of low charge and intermittent charging issues at Keizer Transit Center. Cherriots said those issues affected fleet availability and required additional staff support.
Taken together, those two points offer a more complete picture of what riders are seeing. Diesel buses are still a standard part of Cherriots’ day-to-day operations, but the electric bus rollout has also faced real limitations tied to charging and availability. That means the presence of a diesel bus in service does not automatically indicate a breakdown or a service failure on a given day, but it also does not erase the fact that Cherriots has documented challenges in fully delivering electric service as planned.
Cherriots has described Route 11 as the system’s first Zero Emissions Corridor, supported by charging infrastructure at Keizer Transit Center and overnight charging at the agency’s Del Webb Operations Headquarters. The agency says it currently has 10 battery-electric buses in service as part of that effort.
Schmitt said that transition is expected to continue soon. According to her response, 12 of Cherriots’ 24 renewable-diesel buses are expected to be replaced by new battery-electric buses within the next 45 days. If that timeline holds, the fleet mix riders see on Salem streets could begin changing more noticeably this spring.
For now, however, Cherriots remains a mixed-fleet system. In addition to electric buses, the agency continues operating vehicles powered by renewable diesel and renewable natural gas. That means the move toward lower-emission transit is happening in stages rather than all at once, with older vehicle types remaining in regular use until replacements arrive and are fully deployed.
The distinction matters because public expectations can easily move faster than transit operations. A rider hearing about zero-emission corridors and electric buses may reasonably assume those vehicles have already replaced older ones across the route. Cherriots’ response makes clear that is not yet the case.
The agency’s public statements and internal performance reporting show a system still in transition: one that is continuing to invest in electric service, but one that is also still relying on renewable-diesel buses as part of normal operations. For riders, the result is a fleet that reflects both the agency’s long-term direction and the practical limits of carrying out that transition in real time.
