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Committee approves bike-rack grant for buses; staff outline transit technology rollout, trolleys and bus-barn grant
Summary
Committee approved accepting $45,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation for bicycle racks on Community Connector buses. Staff also briefed councillors on upcoming transit technology, trolley acquisition, driver shortages, and a large bus facilities grant to rehabilitate and electrify the bus barn.
The Government Operations Committee on Aug. 5 agreed to accept $45,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation’s carbon-reduction program to install bicycle racks (including e-bike-compatible racks) on Community Connector buses, and staff provided a broader update on transit technology, trolleys, staffing and a bus-facilities grant.
Courtney O’Donnell and Lori Lynn Scott (bus superintendent) described the $45,000 award as funding to outfit the fleet with racks that accommodate larger bicycles, improving last-mile connections for riders. Committee members moved and seconded approval; the motion was recorded as approved in committee with no roll-call tally provided.
Staff said the transit system is rolling out new technology that will include automatic passenger counters, real-time bus tracking, trip announcements, driver tablets and a rider-facing app. An early version of the app appeared on Apple’s store prematurely; staff said the system is not yet fully live and a public launch and press release will come when ready. Automatic passenger counters are expected to produce more accurate ridership counts, which staff said will help funding formulas.
Staff also reported a 33% year-over-year ridership increase in fiscal 2024 (ending in June) to more than 130,000 rides. The city has reacquired three “Molly” trolleys from another Maine agency for special events and service; staff hope to have at least one roadworthy soon. The transit system is recruiting drivers with Class B licenses and will assist with endorsements.
On capital facilities, staff said they secured a bus-and-bus-facilities award of roughly $8,000,000 plus $2,000,000 (described as additional grant/local match) for a $10,000,000 project to rehab and electrify the cold bus barn; the finance committee later reviewed a design-services bid as the first step. The project would include classroom space, washrooms and bus-wash upgrades; staff warned the work will take multiple years. No formal vote beyond the bike-rack acceptance was recorded in committee for the other informational items.
