METRO recently announced an agreement with USM to offer new expanded service for students and the public, including an Unlimited Access Transit Pass Program (U-Pass). The Transit West Project is expected to launch in August 2018 and includes public transit improvements in Gorham, Westbrook, Portland and South Portland.
According to METRO Board President John Thompson Jr., “this will be the most significant and exciting expansion of public transportation in the state of Maine since the Amtrak Downeaster launched in 2001.”
USM President Glenn Cummings applauded the project, adding, “From USM’s point of view, this is an absolute triple win,” Cummings said. “This means better service, financial savings and environmental improvement. You can’t get much better than that.”
A new “Husky Line” bus route will be added offering a limited stop, higher speed transit service. The Husky Line will introduce transit service to the Town of Gorham, connect the USM Gorham-Portland campuses, and increase the level of transit service along the William Clark Drive/Main Street corridor in Westbrook and the Brighton Avenue corridor in Portland.
Additionally, the new USM U-Pass Program will provide an unlimited access transit pass program for the approximately 8,000 students enrolled at USM. The U-Pass program not only provides students access to the Husky Line and travel between the two campuses, but will allow on and off-campus students access to METRO’s entire transit network for all trip purposes.
“As a community engaged university, USM is delighted that the Transit West project will not only provide substantial new benefits to our students, but also for people living in Gorham, Westbrook and other surrounding towns. This is a game changer for our university and for the entire region,” added Cummings.
The Transit West Project is based on a partnership between METRO, the City of Westbrook, the Town of Gorham, the City of Portland, USM, the Maine Department of Transportation, and the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS). The major funding sources for the nearly $4.5 million project include federal funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, USM U-Pass program revenue, new fare revenue from added ridership due to the expansion, advertising revenue, and local contributions from Gorham, Westbrook and Portland.
The Gorham Town Council voted to make a three-year commitment to a trial program. The estimated annual cost to Gorham is $162,719, but the annual cost to Gorham during the three-year trial period is $33,000. Town Manager David Cole said, “This new METRO bus route is innovative and will provide more transportation options for Gorham residents, especially over time, as people become more aware and start using it.”