U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe announced today that the Maine Department of Transportation has been awarded $442,389 in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration for projects throughout the state. The grant’s services are targeted towards the State Access to Jobs Transportation Plan, which serves welfare recipients and those with low incomes. Portions of the grant will go to the City of Bangor, Downeast Transportation, Inc., the Greater Portland Transit District, the York County Community Action Committees, and the Washington Hancock Community Agency.
“This is excellent news,” noted Senators Collins and Snowe in a joint statement. “This funding is greatly needed to assist those Mainers by making public transportation more accessible.”
· The City of Bangor will use its portion to continue a bus route that connects the system hub at Pickering Square to the new development on outer Wilson Street. The development has a number of retail stores with entry level job opportunities.
· Downeast Transportation, Inc. will use its portion for continued commuter service between Cherryfield and Bangor to Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor, a major employer in rural Hancock County with a large number of entry level positions.
· The portion allocated to the Greater Portland Transit District will be used to continue fixed route service for Falmouth residents to connect to employment areas in Westbrook and Portland.
· The York County Community Action Committees will use their portion of the grant for continued service between Sanford, Wells and Biddeford that connects seasonally to the Shoreline Explorer for the Route 1 corridor. A number of employment opportunities exist along this corridor.
· The portion allocated to the Washington Hancock Community Agency will be used for the Helping Hands Garage which assists in providing safe and affordable transportation to low-income persons for commuting to/from work and medical appointments, and to improve credit history for future borrowing opportunities. The program includes a carpooling component as all recipients agree to participate in the "Go Maine" program.
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