Aroostook Regional Transportation System Operations Manager Chantal Dumais (left), and dispatcher Megan Ouellette stand by one of the system's 23 vehicles in Presque Isle on May 21. Behind them, a bus departs on a daily route. (Paula Brewer | The Star-Herald)
Presque Isle residents who lack transportation will soon be more connected to their community, as a regional bus service plans to add trips for part of the weekend.
With $55,000 in state funds, the Aroostook Regional Transportation System will launch a Saturday-only bus called the Star City Connector on June 1.
That bus will augment the system’s normal weekday service. Riders rely on the familiar “ARTS”-logo buses Monday through Friday, but on weekends service stops. The Star City Connector pilot program aims to help fulfill the Aroostook County-wide system’s mission to provide more ways for the public to get around.
“The majority of our population is aging, and I would say that half of the population has no way of transportation,” said Chantal Dumas, Aroostook Regional Transportation System operations manager. “[Riders] are excited for it. And on the weekend, who wants to be stuck inside?”
The funding from the Maine Department of Transportation will fully cover the connector’s first year, Dumais said. It’s too soon to know how subsequent years will be funded, but the system intends to keep the connector going, she said.
The Star City Connector will use buses already in Aroostook Regional Transportation’s fleet of 23 vehicles. Regular drivers will rotate weekend shifts. From 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the bus will complete five loops of 20 stops.
Riders and community members, along with organizations and businesses on the route, helped design the schedule, Dumais said. Some stops may be added or removed depending on riders’ preferences.
Among the stops are the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, downtown, several housing areas, the Aroostook Agency on Aging, the Mark and Emily Turner Library, Walmart, the North Street Plaza, the Aroostook Centre Mall and Riverside Park.
A round-trip fare to a single destination and back would be $1, while each additional destination would add another $1. For example, a trip to Walmart then downtown for shopping would cost $2.
Maine DOT funded the project as part of an effort to decrease Maine’s dependence on fossil fuels by encouraging more public transit, said Megan Ouellette, an Aroostook Regional Transportation dispatcher.
“We don’t have a big culture of traveling by foot, and Presque Isle is not really walkable,” said Ouellette. “With an aging population, that makes it much more complex to navigate those barriers.”
The city once had its own Presque Isle Loop bus service, which started in 2019. Then COVID came and killed public gatherings, and after only a year the program ended.
But the need never went away, especially among older residents or those who have disabilities and can’t drive.
From its Presque Isle headquarters, the Aroostook Regional Transportation System serves all of The County, from Fort Kent to Danforth. Besides the general public, it serves veterans, the Central Aroostook Association and other groups.
Buses complete more than 1,000 trips per week across The County, and in March, drivers logged more than 17,000 miles, Ouellette said. They serve about 135 passengers a day.
The prospect of Saturday rides enthused some regular travelers, who requested their last names be omitted to protect their privacy.
“Being housebound is not fun,” said Shirley C. “I can’t see well enough to drive because I have glaucoma. There’s plenty of times I’d love to get out during the weekend.”
A round-trip cab ride on Saturday costs $20, she said.
“We’ve been wanting something like this,” said Linda P. “I can’t walk downtown because of my left leg, but I would love to go to all those little shops downtown on the weekend.”
The connector fits in with the transportation system’s goals, Dumais said, which include providing safe, reliable and accessible transportation options and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
Many people don’t realize the service is for the general public, not just older people and those with disabilities, she said.
She and Ouellette believe the new Star City Connector will be life-changing.
“Being able to socialize is so transformational for health and wellness,” Ouellette said. “The connector is just going to extend that.”
For more details about the Star City Connector, contact the Aroostook Regional Transportation System at 207-764-5246 or visit aroostooktransportation.org.
