Take a Holiday Season Bus Ride to the Lakes Region for Free!

Who’s up for trying out the new Lakes Region Bus Service?  I am!  After a number of months of hard work and preparation by RTP (Regional Transportation Program) and local advocates, the service starts on Monday, November 25. I’m thinking of throwing our bikes on the bus and taking a family bus ride out there – maybe after the Thanksgiving holiday (no service on Thanksgiving, the Friday after Turkey Day, or Christmas).

Service runs Monday through Friday between Naples and Portland, 4 times a day in both directions – with free transfers to both METRO and South Portland Bus Service.  The buses have a bike rack (likely for two bikes), are ADA-accessible, and have WiFi.  See here for the route map, stops information, time schedule, and more general info on the service.  

Rides through the end of 2013 are free – a great way to get folks to test drive the system.  (After that, all trips will be $3, which is a bargain and similar to Shuttlebus/ZOOM rates between Portland and Saco/Biddeford.)

If and when you try out the service, definitely let us know what you think in the comment section below.  And for any questions or feedback, contact Dan Goodman at RTP, formerly of GoMaine fame.  I’ll post an update and photos when I get a chance to check it out myself.

Local Champions: South Portland Bike-Pedestrian Committee Creates Maps and Tip Sheets for All K-8 Students

Originally written for the Maine Safe Routes to School e-Newsletter

This fall South Portland students have had the opportunity to use new tools to be on the move! Over the summer, local parents and community planners produced Recommended Walking Route Maps and walk and bike tip sheets for students living within one mile of each of South Portland’s five elementary and two middle schools.  These were distributed to every family in September and are being made available through the City and schools web sites. You can see an up-close PDF of one of the Maps and Tip Sheets by clicking here. The group’s efforts were also featured and the maps were explained in this fun South Portland Community Television show.

“My kids and I love to walk to school,” shared Skillin School parent Jeff Woodbury, “And I’m really excited about this new resource for local families.”  Woodbury is one of several parents on the South Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee and is a member of the Safe Routes to School subcommittee that produced the maps.

“We met as parents with the City Planner and the School Transportation Office and the South Portland Police to draft the recommended walking routes.  It was a great community process,” reported Ben Thompson, Co-Chair of the Safe Routes to School subcommittee and parent of a grown child who attended South Portland Schools (see photo at right below).  The South Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee has produced the maps with the assistance of the Maine Safe Routes to School Program and the Maine Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Program.

“We know traffic congestion near schools can be a real problem, both for the schools and for parents trying to drop off of their kids by car,” shared Tex Haeuser, City Planning & Development Director, “So we wanted to help with the alternatives that exist, like walking.”

Jessica Williams, also Co-Chair of the Safe Routes to School subcommittee and a Small School parent, points out that some families use the adult-led Walking School Bus model to share the responsibility for safely walking a group of elementary kids to school.  “It’s a great way to save time as a parent – to only have to head to school once or twice a week – especially for parents who work away from home.  You take a turn walking one day, say, and can avoid the traffic and car wait-time the rest of the week.”  (See Small School students walking together at right).

Woodbury noted, “The walk is a lot of fun, too.  Walking a mile with a group of kids takes about 30 minutes – and many of us live a lot closer than that to school.”  He added, “We keep hearing how, if our kids can get some exercise before the school day starts, they’ll do better academically and behavior-wise – so this works out great.” If your local community group would like help with this kind of School Travel Planning and the creation of walking route maps please contact us!