The Oregon Department of Transportation’s Columbia Gorge Express bus service begins its third year on Friday, and now it will go as far east as Hood River and operate seven days a week, year-round. On Friday the bus will begin Friday-Saturday-Sunday service – plus Memorial Day — from Gateway Transit Center in Portland to Rooster Rock State Park, Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks and Hood River. On June 11, the bus will start service seven days a week, year-round. Service will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday when the first bus of the day leaves Gateway Transit Center. The last bus of the day departs Hood River for Portland at 7:10 p.m. In 2016, season one surpassed expectations with nearly 30,000 trips over 18 weekends between Portland and Multnomah Falls, and season two in summer 2017 saw average daily ridership increase by about ten percent over just 15 weekends, with the last three weekends cancelled because of the Eagle Creek Fire. For a full schedule, tickets, and more information go to www.ColumbiaGorgeExpress.com.