BANGOR, Maine — A multi-million dollar project that's been several years in the making is finally complete in downtown Bangor. Friday afternoon, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the new Bangor Transit Center in Pickering Square.
The 2,200 sq. ft. facility features public bathrooms, phone charging stations, digital bus schedules, a warm place to sit and wait for the bus, and heated sidewalks.
A number of guest speakers attended the ceremony on Friday, including Laurie Linscott, Bangor bus superintendent, Rick Fournier, Bangor city council chair, Bruce Van Note, Maine DOT commissioner, and Sen. Susan Collins, who helped secure funding for the project.
"Many passengers rely on the trademark red buses to travel to and from work, school, healthcare appointments..." Collins said.
The Community Connector serves Bangor, Brewer, Veazie, Old Town, Orono, and Hampden, with its central hub now located in downtown Bangor.
Linscott said she hopes the new facility and brand-new buses will ultimately increase ridership.
"It's a place we've never had before in the history of Community Connector," Linscott said.
Linscott added none of this would have been possible without the team effort that made it happen, like the efforts of Benchmark Construction. Its president, Jason Jendrasko, said his crews worked to stick to the schedule despite a number of challenges brought on by the pandemic.
"We really value community projects, we value offering services to those who need it and that's what's really great about this project," Jendrasko said.
Along with pandemic challenges, the Community Connector is still dealing with a shortage of drivers.
Linscott said they recently conducted a CDL training course and have about five new drivers starting next month. But, she said more drivers are still needed to be able to resume Saturday service.
"I don't have a date yet on when I can bring back Saturday service, but trust me, I am working on it every day," Linscott said.
Linscott added you can expect a number of additional improvements to technology and bus stops in the coming year.
The transit center will officially open on Wednesday and its hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.