When Gilbert Larrabee of Bangor started riding the bus 13 years ago, he could board it on a street corner two doors down from his home. Starting last week, Larrabee, who uses a cane, has to walk a few blocks to catch the bus.
While using the bus is more difficult for Larrabee now, he doesn’t mind the system’s new policy that requires passengers to wait at a designated stop in order to catch a ride.
Last week the Community Connector, the Bangor area’s regional bus line, officially switched to only picking people up at fixed stops. The day came after a seven-month transition period when people who wanted to catch a bus could either wait at a stop or flag down a bus.
Before stops were installed, riders could get on the bus at any point along the route by waving it down.
In the first week of the new system, Jim Fogg, a Community Connector driver for more than 20 years, said he hasn’t driven by anyone trying to flag him down. This, he said, is a sign that riders were given plenty of time to adapt and learn where the new bus stops are.
As a driver, Fogg said the fixed stop system is better because it keeps buses on a reliable schedule for riders.
“You’re moving along quicker when you don’t have to stop as frequently,” he said.
Jay Osgood, who frequently rides the bus to Brewer, said she likes the fixed stop system because it keeps buses on regular, reliable schedules.
“There are times I’d be waiting and waiting for my bus that got hung up letting people on and off,” Osgood said.
The change is aimed at helping buses stay on time and be more reliable for riders, as they won’t be making unpredictable stops to pick up riders who aren’t at designated stops. Additionally, the stops could draw new passengers who may have been deterred from riding because they didn’t know how, when or where to catch the bus, Community Connector’s superintendent, Laurie Linscott, said.
The Community Connector is owned and operated by Bangor and also serves Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, Orono, Veazie and the University of Maine.
In addition to fixed stops, speakers now announce which stop a bus is approaching and the closest intersection. Screens in the bus also show passengers the name of the stop to better inform riders, especially those with disabilities.
The system also launched a free smartphone app, called Bangor Community Connector, that shows riders where buses are in real time and provides the estimated time of arrival at each stop.
“If you can’t see, hear, read or write we’re making it easier for you to ride the bus,” Linscott said. “We’re hoping that it makes for a better, more equitable, accessible rider experience.”
Crews installed more than 300 stops across the bus’ service area, though stops may be added or cut in the future. The locations were chosen based on where passengers usually got on or off, nearby attractions and available infrastructure, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, that made the area safer for pedestrians, Linscott said.
In the future, the system plans to add screens in the Bangor Transit Center in Pickering Square that show the same information as the app, including bus departure and arrival times. This will give all riders the same information, regardless of whether they have a smartphone.
While transitioning to the fixed stops wasn’t a challenge for Osgood, she said the system cutting Saturday service proved to be a larger issue, primarily because it forced her to change her entire work schedule and she nearly lost her job because of it.
David Bentley of Veazie said he hasn’t come into downtown Bangor on the weekends since the Community Connector stopped running on Saturdays due to a lack of drivers. This, he said, is a far heavier burden than the transition to using only bus stops.
“At first, I wasn’t sure [the bus stop system] would work, but they gave us plenty of time to get used to it.” said Bentley, who also runs a Facebook group for Bangor bus passengers.
The Community Connector is offering two free training programs in the hopes of hiring more drivers once they get licensed. At least 12 students have signed up for the first class, which starts on Jan. 21, Linscott said.
The system needs seven to 10 more bus drivers in order to reinstate Saturday service, but there’s no way to tell how many students will graduate from the class, secure the necessary licences and agree to work in Bangor.
“I’m very excited about this class and what it’ll do for us and the community,” Linscott said. “We have a lot of good, nice people signed up and we’re excited to get it started.”
