UMaine, Bat Community Connector Expand Bus Program
Contact: Media contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — The University of Maine and BAT Community Connector, the public transportation system operated by the City of Bangor, have expanded their successful three-year-old collaboration that allows members of the UMaine community to use the system without paying a fee.
UMaine students and employees may now ride anywhere on the system’s network of routes by simply displaying their official university identification card. Since the cooperative arrangement began in September of 2000, this accommodation has only applied to specific routes on the network.
“There are multiple good reasons to build upon this relationship,” says Richard Chapman, UMaine’s vice president for student affairs. “It serves to reduce the number of motor vehicles on campus, which relieves stress on our infrastructure; it eases traffic around the university, which benefits our neighboring communities; and it is good for the environment.”
To broaden the scope of the program, UMaine increased its annual payment to BAT to $15,000. That represents a $5,000 incase. UMaine Student Government will finance a significant portion of the increase.
“I really have to attribute the initial success of this program to others,” says Matthew Rodrigue, president of Student Government. “Parking and transportation are important issues for students, and I have worked hard alongside senators and Vice President Matthew Gagnon to ensure this program’s growth.”
Since September of 2000, UMaine students, faculty members and staff members have used their ID cards to take more than 86,200 rides on routes serving Orono, Old Town and Veazie, along with the route from the system’s hub in downtown Bangor. The system also serves Brewer and Hampden.
Buses stop on campus at Memorial Union Circle every hour Monday through Friday, and every other hour on Saturdays. All 14 vehicles in the BAT Community Connector system are handicapped-accessible and have bicycle racks. More information about the system and its route schedule is on the Web.