LEWISTON — An additional stop along the Lisbon Street Citylink bus route becomes permanent Monday, according to Twin Cities transit officials.

A stop tested at Pleasant View Acres, between inbound stops at Lewiston-Auburn College and the Shaw’s supermarket on East Avenue, was popular enough to become a regular stop, according to Phil Nadeau, chairman of the Lewiston Auburn Transit Committee.

“We did time trials for a few weeks and we’ve seen enough different conditions to get a sense of what the schedule would look like,” Nadeau said. “We’re confident it will work.”

A second stop, at the new veterans health clinic on Exit 80, becomes a permanent stop on the Lisbon Street schedule this winter, once the clinic opens.

“There’s no reason to start it now because there is nobody going there,” Nadeau said. “But when that clinic opens, it will be a regular part of the schedule.”

The LATC manages the Citylink system, and Western Maine Transportation manages the routes, buses and drivers.

The LATC began testing the new stops for about three weeks this month.

Harold Allen, transportation supervisor for Western Maine Transportation, said the Lisbon Street route had a 10-minute cushion in its regular schedule. Drivers usually stop the bus along the route for 10 minutes to stay on schedule. 

“We’ve had a few riders catching the bus at the corner of Pleasant and Scribner for a while, all coming out of Pleasant View Acres,” Allen said. “Everything fit just fine. There’s plenty of time to make both stops without causing any headaches, so we recommended going ahead.”

Allen said the new Pleasant View Acres will add about 61 new riders.

“That’s a slight increase, not a big jump,” Allen said. “But any increase is a good thing.”

The route has had between 3,000 and 3,600 riders per month so far this year.

“We won’t know the numbers at the VA clinic until it’s open and operating,” Allen said. “But we’ve been told that significant number of people in this area will be using that clinic. How many will need bus transportation we won’t know, but we anticipate a decent amount.”

Work on the clinic, at 15 Challenger Drive, began in March and is expected to wrap up in December. The clinic is meant to augment the Togus VA hospital, located outside Augusta, bringing in patients from all around the Twin Cities and beyond.

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