PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Beginning on Oct. 15, local residents will be able to take a free ride on the new bus line during the first two weeks of operation.
Since December, the Going Places Network has worked to secure a new transportation system for the Star City, according to committee member Jamie Chandler.
Chandler said that after receiving a $20,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation, several local stakeholders and community organizers collaborated to determine what local improvements they could make that would benefit County people.
Mary Smith, left, listens to Going Places Network committee members presenting the new Presque Isle bus loop. (Staff photo/Nina Mahaleris)
Last year, the group began assessing what the biggest needs are for families with young children in Aroostook County. ACAP’s most recent community assessment found that transportation was perceived to be the biggest barrier that people face in The County, ranking higher than substance use challenges.
Going Places Network committee members took part in the inaugural ride on Oct. 1 by riding the entire bus route through the city, picking up local community leaders along the way.
Representatives from local and state agencies joined in the trip, including the Aroostook Agency on Aging as well as students from Presque Isle High School and some members of the city council.
At the launch party later in the evening, committee members thanked their sponsors and local people who helped bring the project to life. Mary Smith, a Presque Isle native who was involved in the project from the start, flew in from her home in California to take the bus’ first ride through the city.
Smith said that the project was only able to be finished thanks to the “tireless work” of the people involved. Committee members put in time outside of their own full-time jobs, working weekends and through their vacations to get the system operating, Smith said.
The PI Loop, which is about an hour ride from start to finish, stops at various stores, health clinics, banks, schools and more to try to reach some of the most frequented destinations for travelers.
The route begins with the first stop at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, then moves along to 15 other stops around the city including South Main, Academy, Blake, Carmichael and Parsons Streets.
The bus also makes stops near the Industrial Park and the Northern Maine Community College and ends the route at the Sargent Community Center. The bus line will stop at Walmart and the Aroostook Centre Mall, too.
Chandler said the bus schedule was created to adhere to when individual organization’s open and close during the day. The bus will run Monday through Saturday with limited times on Sunday.
The first stop on the Monday through Saturday schedule begins at 6 a.m. at South Main Street and the last stop of the day is scheduled for 7:25 p.m. at UMPI.
The bus will spend about two minutes at each stop, but this may change later to improve the system’s function.
As the network is still testing out the operation of the bus route, the schedule may be revised on Nov. 1. They first want to see how the bus operates in traffic and may consider adapting the schedule as needed, according to Chandler.
The bus also has a lift attached so individuals who need wheelchair access or have other mobility issues can get on board, as well.
The bus can seat about 36 passengers and two wheelchairs and will have free wifi on board which travelers can access. The network will be launching a mobile application that will allow people to track the bus’ location and estimate arrival times.
Both the app and a website for the bus system is expected to launch on Oct. 15.
