By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Bus service out Gamage Avenue could end later this summer, replaced by new routes along Minot Avenue and to Central Maine Community College.

“Minot is just booming, and that’s where the ridership is,” said Marsha Bennett, transit coordinator for the Lewiston Auburn Transit Committee.

Bennett will present those changes and others to Lewiston-Auburn’s Citylink bus system today. The first presentation is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Auburn Hall. A second is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Lewiston City Hall.

Bennett said she’ll take public comments about the schedule back to the committee. If the panel likes the ideas, they’ll be part of the new schedule beginning in August.

The changes would make bus service faster, she said.

The Gamage route currently begins at the Great Falls Plaza bus stop, and goes up Hampshire Street to Gamage Avenue on its way to Court Street, via Lake Street, Davis Avenue and Granite Street.

A spur off the normal route goes out Minot Avenue to Pathways, and Bennett said that route is getting more riders than the main route.

The new route will go out Minot Avenue to Hotel Road, around Rodman and Manley roads and back to Minot Avenue.

Citylink added service to CMCC last year off of the Gamage route. That will become a route of its own, with service between the school and Great Falls Plaza six times daily.

In Lewiston, Citylink will end service to Country Lane Estates on the Sabattus Street route. That stop had few riders as well.

“And, the driver has 26 other stop lights to face on that route,” she said. “Imagine doing that every half-hour. So, anywhere we can save two minutes, we need to take it.”

The new schedule would also eliminate stops to Gosnold, Kilsyth and Ipswich streets on the New Auburn route and one inbound stop at Barker Arms.