LEWISTON — Transit officials will kick off new bus schedules and longer service Aug. 2 with a ribbon-cutting celebration.

The Citylink bus system will run less frequent routes beginning earlier each day and running later each evening. The less frequent bus runs, from 30-minute-headways to hour-long headways, are designed to make the service more reliable. Longer hours are designed to appeal to local work commuters.

Citylink will also begin offering Saturday service to a portion of the service area on Aug. 7 as a part of the program improvements.

Representatives from the Lewiston Auburn Transit Committee, the Visible Community and local Lewiston and Auburn city councils are expected at the Aug. 2 ribbon cutting. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Oak Street bus station in Lewiston.

Transit Coordinator Marsha Bennett said the transit group had considered having a second ribbon cutting to celebrate the first day of Saturday service.

“But we thought two ribbon cuttings would be too confusing, so we’re focusing on one,” she said.

Citylink will run two Saturday routes between 9 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. The first will run through Lewiston, up College Street and across the Androscoggin River to the Auburn Mall. The second will run to New Auburn, then back through downtown Auburn to the mall.

Across the program, bus service is being expanded to Little Canada, the B Street Community Center, Geiger, Montello schools and Lewiston Middle School in Lewiston, Auburn Middle School and Edward Little High School, Auburn Plaza and the Auburn Mall Apartments.

 The new schedule also introduces a new hub for Auburn service at the Hannaford supermarket on Spring Street.

staylor@sunjournal.com