The Twin Cities could get a $433,000 boost for bus service from the federal government under a new calculation formula.
The formula would give smaller transit agencies such as Lewiston-Auburn’s Citylink credit for the level of service they provide. It’s part of a federal transportation highway reauthorization bill being debated by the U.S. Senate.
Lewiston-Auburn and Portland could see a total of $649,000 in additional transit funding by 2009, according to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
“The formula change recognizes that public transit serves a critical role in small communities, as well as large ones,” Snowe said in prepared statement. “Thousands of riders count on public transportation in Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, and this formula would provide funding that more closely matches the strong level of service provided in these communities.”
The new money could mean new routes or new buses, said Androscoggin Transportation Resource Council Chairman Don Craig.
“It could give us the ability to expand our system, and reach out to some new areas,” Craig said. “It could give us the opportunity to service or replace some of the aging buses in our fleet. Or it could offer a little of both.”
Craig expects the highway reauthorization bill to be approved this month.
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