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In early February, the Orono Town Council, the University of Maine and the BAT Community Connector system officially approved a new bus route. It will expand the connection between students on campus and the Town of Orono.
Now, the nuts and bolts of the system are beginning to come together – literally – and the route is slated to begin running this fall.
According to Joe McNeil, superintendent of the BAT system, each bus must be custom made. They are currently being assembled in New Hampshire and should be in the BAT garages in Bangor within a month.
The Maine Department of Transportation paid approximately $91,000 for each of the two buses. One is being kept on hand in the event of need for repairs. The BAT system will lease them from the state for $1 a year.
The state also agreed to pay $30,000 a year for the first three years of the route’s operation. The remainder of the route’s estimated $120,000 initial operating costs will be split evenly between the Town of Orono and UMaine.
The costs do not include building new bus shelters, as expenses for them can quickly snowball and the funds are not available.
None of the $11 billion in federal public transportation stimulus funding will be dedicated to the new bus route, as the funds are only meant for improving existing infrastructure.
The buses will be smaller than the BAT’s regular vehicles, seating just 24 passengers. The route will circulate every half hour producing a higher passenger turnover rate. It will run later than the current system, which passes through campus for the last time shortly after 6 p.m.
The new route will circulate until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and then until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. See image on the right for the new bus’ route.
McNeil mentioned that the route is subject to change.
“We will be monitoring it . as closely as we can. If changes need to be made, such as extending service on one end or shortening on another, we are prepared to do that.”
Bangor Daily News