Planners wish to join Portland, Westbrook and Gorham with categorical bus
Officers in Larger Portland are contemplating a system of fast transit bus routes for the area.
Beneath a draft proposal from the Larger Portland Council of Governments, devoted bus lanes would offer categorical service by way of Portland, Westbrook and Gorham extra shortly than conventional bus service, with stops alongside the way in which.
The popular route would begin on the College of Southern Maine campus in Gorham, journey by way of downtown Westbrook and cease on the College of Southern Maine campus in Portland earlier than heading down Congress Road and ending close to the Jap Promenade.
The proposal envisions service each 10 minutes between Portland and Westbrook, and 20 minutes between Westbrook and Gorham.
“That’s frequent sufficient that you simply’re not counting on a schedule anymore,” mentioned Andrew Clark, transit program supervisor for council. “You’re now not planning your day across the bus schedule. You simply know you may exit to the station, and the bus will probably be there in 10 minutes or one thing like that.”
Clark mentioned service each 10-20 minutes additionally ought to lure riders who wouldn’t usually think about taking public transit.
“I feel folks perceive the function that transit can play in making our cities higher, its function in decreasing congestion, its function in higher local weather outcomes, higher social fairness outcomes,” he mentioned.
Larger Portland Metro would function the proposed route, however the autos and stops would have a unique look than the service’s current buses, Clark added.
The proposed routes are nonetheless a great distance away, Clark mentioned. The cities of Portland, Westbrook and Gorham might want to determine how a lot highway area might be freed up for devoted bus lanes. The mission additionally might want to safe federal funds for the brand new bus lanes and battery-powered autos.
Officers additionally ultimately envision fast transit routes to South Portland, Biddeford and Saco, Brunswick and Windham.
The council will host a digital neighborhood assembly to collect extra public suggestions in regards to the proposal on Thursday.
This text seems by way of a media partnership with Maine Public.
