LEWISTON — Mayor Robert Macdonald has added his voice to the call for commuter service between the Twin Cities and Portland.

City councilors approved a resolution saying its time to establish mass transit between the two communities.

"We will be discussing this further to figure out a way to push this," Macdonald said. "Instead of this just being pushed aside, we need to push it and make them notice us."

The resolution is similar to those adopted by Portland and Auburn city councils last month. Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte is the driving force behind the issue locally, Macdonald said.

LaBonte met with Portland's Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee in December to help draft the resolution.

It notes that both communities would benefit from regular transit service between them and says that all three cities would benefit from reduced car trips on Central Maine roads.

It calls on the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System and all three cities to work together to study transit service and come up with workable options.

The resolution does not state a preference for buses or trains but notes that grants and federal transportation programs could be used to develop either.

staylor@sunjournal.com