Maine Transportation Directory A guide for using Maine’s roads and highways without a car. Serving the transportation needs of Maine’s people from Kittery to Fort Kent Maine Transit Regions Region 1 Aroostook County; Danforth in Washington County; and Patten in Penobscot County Region 2 Hancock County including Isle au Haut; and Washington County excluding Danforth Region 3 Penobscot County excluding Patten; and Piscataquis County Region 4 Kennebec County and Somerset County Region 5 Knox County; Lincoln County; Sagadahoc 11 County; Waldo County; and Brunswick and Harpswell in Cumberland County Region 6 Cumberland County Region 7 Androscoggin County; Franklin County; and Oxford County excluding Porter, Hiram, Brownfield, Denmark, Sweden, Fryeburg, Lovell, Stow and Stoneham Region 8 York County; and Porter, Hiram, Brownfield, Denmark, Sweden, Fryeburg, Lovell, Stow and Stoneham in Oxford County 33 44 22 77 55 66 88 General Information on Maine’s Transportation Services Regularly Scheduled Local fleet of 9 vans transporting state This is especially true for isolated indi- served year round at community cen- Bus Service workers and others to and from viduals who must travel long dis- ters throughout the state. These pro- Augusta each day. MDOT also main- tances to receive special treatments grams give elderly Maine residents a Sixteen fixed-route transit systems tains a series of Park ’n Ride lots that at regional medical centers. chance to get out into the community provide regularly scheduled bus serv- allow commuters to meet and travel Volunteer driver programs allow for good food and companionship. ice in Maine. The state’s larger cities to work in one car. Statewide concerned individuals to help their Some senior centers offer card offer frequent service on a variety of Rideshare information is available at neighbors by offering rides in their games and other social activities in routes, serving local commuters, shop- www.gomaine.org. private cars. Drivers are trained and addition to lunch. pers, senior citizens, persons with dis- Commuter bus service to Bath Iron certified by the sponsoring agency, Door-to-door bus and van service abilities and others. Works is provided daily by RTP, and are reimbursed for costs based is available for most senior citizen Portland’s METRO is the largest sys- Coastal Trans and Hudson Bus Lines. on the miles they travel. lunch programs. In many cases, sen- tem in the state, with 21 buses, 7 In addition, Bath Iron Works sponsors Rides are arranged in advance. ior citizens can combine stops at the routes and 1.4 million annual riders. five Park ’n Ride buses transporting Usually a one or two-day advance grocery store with their ride home The BAT in Bangor is the second over 1,400 workers each day. Private reservation is required. This service is from lunch. largest, with 15 buses, 10 routes and bus service is provided to employees offered for medical trips to An elderly bus rider in Ellsworth over a half million riders a year. of the Kittery Naval Shipyard. MaineCare clients who are unable to said: “My husband always did all the citylink in Lewiston-Auburn operates use regular public buses, or where driving. After he passed away, I was 8 buses on 9 routes and carries Regional Public Providers other bus and van service is not left with no means of transportation. 180,000 annual riders. available. When they started the bus service, it Smaller systems in Augusta, Maine leads the nation in its approach to social service transporta- was such a blessing to me. I was real- Waterville, Paris, Belfast, Rockland, tion. Instead of having individual pro- ly stuck and depressed. The bus res- Bath, South Portland, Sanford, Sheltered Workshop grams provide their own transporta- cued me.” Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach Transportation tion services, social service agencies Senior citizen lunch programs in and Ellsworth operate 5 days a week, Employment programs for persons in Maine can purchase rides for their Maine are sponsored by the helping area residents get around with developmental disabilities are clients from one of nine regional Aroostook, Southern Maine, Eastern, town without the use of a private car. located throughout the state of transportation providers in the state. and Western Maine Area Agencies on In rural areas of western and east- This “coordinated” approach frees Maine. These not-for-profit programs Aging, and by the Senior Spectrum. ern Maine, some routes receive regu- social service agencies from having to offer a wide array of training opportu- larly scheduled service once or twice worry about bus drivers and vehicle nities for Maine residents who are Intercity Bus and Ferry a week. repairs, allowing them to concentrate developmentally disabled. Two Indian Reservations in Services on what they know best. And it These programs help participants Washington County provide area resi- Intercity buses and ferries provide means that costly buses and vans can develop the skills they need to live dents with local bus service. Maine with important local, national, be shared by a variety of programs. more independently in the communi- ty. For some, this can mean prepara- and international transportation links. In many cases, the same bus can be Concord Trailways, Vermont Transit, Subscription Commuter, used to take Sheltered Workshop tion for employment in a private busi- and SMT offer fast bus service to clients to work, preschool children to ness. For others, it can mean contin- Park & Ride and Ride New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Headstart, MaineCare clients to the ued work in a setting that offers a Share Programs Eastern Canada. Cyr Bus Lines offers doctor, and senior citizens to their higher level of service and support. Many Maine workers travel consider- daily service between Bangor and midday lunch program. For others, it means help with devel- able distances to work each day with- Aroostook County. West’s Regional providers offer “door-to- oping basic daily living skills. out the worry and expense of driving Transportation connects Bangor and door” services. Most require a one- Developmentally disabled adults a car. They are benefiting from a Calais. And the Shuttle Bus provides day or two-day advance reservation. depend on bus transportation to get growing network of vanpool and to and from work each day. The service between Biddeford and commuter bus services available to In addition to client services, most state’s regional transportation sys- Portland. workers in the state on a low-cost programs also offer transportation tems operate a combined fleet of Private and public ferry services subscription basis. that is available for anyone who over 160 buses and vans to provide continue to provide a vital link for In most cases, commuters sign up needs a ride. these individuals with the services Maine’s many island communities. for one month or longer, and pay a they need. International ferries provide service to set fee regardless of the number of Volunteer Driver Funding for Sheltered Workshop Canada from ports in Bar Harbor, times they actually ride. Programs transportation is provided by the Eastport, and Portland. The ZOOM Turnpike Express provides Volunteers play an important role in Department of Health and Human Amtrak passenger train service weekday commuter service from between Boston and Portland began meeting health care needs in a rural Services and the state’s MaineCare Biddeford-Saco to Portland. The serv- in December 2001 providing Maine state like Maine. High quality med- program. ice is sponsored by the Maine ical facilities will not help if the peo- with access to Amtrak’s nationwide Turnpike Authority and the Maine ple who need the services are stuck rail passenger network for the first Department of Transportation. at home with no way to get to the Transportation for Senior time. Service is planned to extend to Go Maine, a statewide rideshare doctor. Citizen Lunch Programs Brunswick and Auburn-Lewiston in program sponsored by the Maine Because of the rural nature of the The midday meal is often the prime the future. Station stops in Maine Department of Transportation and the state, it is not possible to schedule a social hour for senior citizens in include Portland, Old Orchard Beach Maine Turnpike Authority, manages a bus or van for every appointment. Maine. Nutritious hot dinners are (seasonal), Saco, and Wells. Maine Transit Association Aroostook Regional Transportation System, Inc. (ARTS) A private, non-profit agency that provides demand response or “door-to-door” transportation services on a scheduled basis. ARTS serves Aroostook County, Danforth in Washington County and Patten in Penobscot County. Transportation is available Monday through Friday. DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE 764-3384 – Presque Isle Service Area: Aroostook County; Danforth, Washington County; and Patten, Region 1 Penobscot County Aroostook County; Danforth in Washington County; and Patten in Penobscot County Downeast Transportation, Inc. (DTI) A private, non-profit agency that operates deviated fixed route public bus service in Hancock County. Areas served by fixed route bus include Ellsworth, all of Mount Desert Island, the Blue Hill peninsula including Brooklin, Sedgwick, Deer Isle and Stonington, the northern Hancock County town of Otis, the coastal towns of Hancock, Sullivan, Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor in eastern Hancock County, and the Town of Bucksport in western Hancock County. DTI provides five day per week commuter service to the Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor, contract service to Mount Desert Region 2 Island Sheltered Workshop, and one day per week midday service between Bar Harbor, Ellsworth and Bangor. Hancock County including Isle au Haut; FIXED ROUTE AND COMMUTER SERVICES and Washington County excluding Danforth 667-5796 – Ellsworth 288-4573 – Bar Harbor (seasonal) Service Area: Hancock County The Island Explorer Operated by Downeast Transportation, Inc., is a seasonal fixed route public bus service. The Island Explorer operates seven days per week between Trenton, Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park as well as Schoodic Peninsula.