A statewide push to encourage taking the bus is showing some results locally – if only for the month of December.

Gov. John Baldacci’s office is boasting a 20 percent increase in bus ridership statewide because of the Free Fare Friday program. It was started to encourage Mainers to give public transportation a try.

In the Twin Cities, the CityLink bus system has been participating since the Friday after Thanksgiving.

“We’ve actually done programs like this, after Thanksgiving, since 2000,” said Marsha Bennett, transit coordinator for the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center.

Baldacci’s office is claiming ridership increases on the Portland Metro service of 22 percent and Bangor’s BAT service of 43 percent.

Results have been greater in the Twin Cities, where ridership increased by about 50 percent compared to the same time in 2006. Ridership on Free Fare Friday is also about 68 percent higher than the average ridership earlier in the week.

“We are seeing more rides, but we’re not sure if they’re actually new passengers or if we’re getting our regular passengers, just riding more,” Bennett said.

The free bus fare program continues until Dec. 28, the last Friday of the month.