Push for Saturday service

LEWISTON — Downtown activists will take to the streets this week pushing for funding for full Saturday bus service.

“For a lot of people downtown, this is the way for them to get around,” said Jim Lysen of the Visible Community. “We’ve shown that when you increase bus service, people respond by riding the bus. They do want the service.”

City councils from Lewiston and Auburn are reviewing their budgets, and that includes their funding for the Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee, operators of the Citylink bus system.

The group is asking for $224,041 from each city to fund bus service. That includes regular service Monday through Friday, with reduced service on Saturday.

Full Saturday service would cost an additional $23,014 from each city. A City Council budget subcommittee, made up of members of both councils, recommended increasing Saturday service somewhat by increasing the budget $11,577 from each city.

Lysen said members of the Visible Community will be riding buses, giving blue cards to passengers that urge them to contact councilors from both cities to support the full Saturday service. It includes names and phone numbers of all councilors from both cities.

— Scott Taylor