LEWISTON — A Portland study calling for commuter bus lines between Portland, Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta is premature, Twin Cities transit officials said.

“I’d hate to see someone spend a lot of money to create a commuter bus service, only to have it fail,” said Don Craig, director of the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center. “I’m afraid that if we do it and it fails because it wasn’t right, we’ll never get it back. You’ll never convince people to try it again.”

The Maine Alliance for Sustainable Transit unveiled a 24 page report last week outlining their plan for a commuter bus service along the Maine Turnpike.

“We feel there needs to be some line connecting Lewiston to the rest of the world, whether it’s a rail line or a bus line,” said Hilary Frenkel, coordinator of the alliance. “That’s what we’re working toward.”

The study suggests expanding the Zoom Bus service. It currently buses 10 times daily between downtown Portland and the Park and Ride at Biddeford’s Exit 31. It costs riders $5 one way but is heavily supported by the Maine Turnpike Authority.

“We’re asking them to improve that line and expand it to L-A and to Augusta,” Frenkel said.

The group suggests running 16 round-trip routes daily between Lewiston and Portland, estimating it would appeal to 145 riders per day on average. It also suggests running two buses between Portland and Augusta over the turnpike.

Frenkel said expanding the routes would make both Portland and the Twin Cities more economically viable, providing Portland-area jobs for Lewiston and Auburn workers.

“Right now, you need to have a car to work in Portland if you live in L-A,” she said.

Frenkel said the group was just beginning to work with local groups, including the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and its subsidiary the ATRC.

Craig said creating a commuter line between cities is important.

“But we need to coordinate much more,” he said. “I applaud the idea, but I don’t think it’s the time, yet.”

Craig said the MAST study doesn’t say where or when their proposed buses would meet with Citylink buses.

“And that’s a really important question for commuter buses,” he said. “Unless the bus picks you up right in front of your house, you need a way to get to the stop. So, it would need to coordinate with transit services here and in Portland.”

Craig said the study also needs more convincing ridership data.

“You’d need to make very sure that you are running buses at the right times,” he said. “If it goes in too early or too late, people just won’t use it.”

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