JAY – Western Maine Transportation Services has expanded its public bus service on a long-term trial basis for Farmington, Jay, Livermore Falls and Wilton.

The reason for the trial is more demand for service to shopping and non-MaineCare medical appointments, and to serve riders who may be affected by upcoming changes to MaineCare, Craig Zurhorst, WMTS community relations director, said Monday.

The new FlexRoute Service will run Mondays through Fridays from about 7:30 a.m. in Livermore Falls and 8 a.m. in Farmington to about 3:30 p.m., and will continue the weekly Friday service between Farmington and Lewiston-Auburn, he said.

“It allows us to carry more people who want to use the service for shopping” and to get to other services, he said.

The transportation service has always been open to the public but this new flex program will allow for more seats for the general public, he said.

The flex service will have a number of specific stops at designated times but also provide flexibility to serve riders who need to be picked up and dropped off at other locations, including their homes, according to a news release.

Regular stops include most apartment complexes and housing for older people, major stores and pharmacies, medical practices and town centers.

There are two buses serving the new routes.

In Farmington the bus will center service around Route 4/Main Street/Fairbanks Road and High Street, north to Margaret Chase Smith Apartments, south to the Franklin Memorial Hospital campus and west to the intersection of High Street and Route 2.

The second bus will center service around Route 2 and Main Street in Wilton, along Route 4 in Jay, and along Routes 4 and 17 in Livermore Falls as far south as the intersection with Fayette Road.

The cost per-boarding for the FlexRoute buses will be $3 for adults and $1.50 for riders who are disabled, Medicare cardholders, people 60 and older, and children from ages 5 to 11 who are accompanied by an adult.

Transfers between buses in one direction, if a rider needed to travel between Livermore Falls and Farmington or back, will be provided at no additional cost. The buses are accessible for most wheelchairs.

Per-boarding means that you pay $1.50 or $3 each time you get on the bus, Zurhorst said.

Transportation to MaineCare appointments is provided without cost to riders, but must be prescheduled.

During the trial period, the service will be monitored and modified to meet the needs of the communities. At the end of the trial period, the service will be assessed and a decision will be made on how to proceed with public bus service in the region.

For more information, or to schedule a ride, Western Maine Transportation Services may be reached at 800-393-9335 selection 1.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Bus schedules

The schedule for new Western Maine Transportation Services FlexRoute Service is as follows. Riders are asked to be ready five minutes early. Times may vary.

Bus stops in Jay:

Jay Elderly Housing, Lavoie Street – 7:20 a.m., noon, 2:57 p.m.

Jay Plaza, Hannaford, Route 4 – 7:40 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:35 p.m.

Jay Hill Family Apartments, Route 4 – 7:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 2:30 p.m.

Bus stops in Livermore Falls:

Livermore Falls Apartments, Park Street – 7:25 a.m., 11:52 a.m., 2:50 p.m.

Livermore Terrace, Depot Street – on request

Androscoggin Valley Medical Arts Center, Main Street – 7:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 2:45 p.m.

Rite Aid, Food City, Western Maine Family Health, Main Street – 7:35 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 2:40 p.m.

Bus stops in Wilton:

Fernwold Apartments, Route 2 – on request.

Wilson Family Practice, Umbagog Dialysis, Allen Street – request for first pickup, 9:15 a.m., 11:12 a.m., 12:35 p.m., 2:12 p.m., 3:10 p.m.

Village View Apartments, Village View Street – 8:10 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:42 p.m., 2:05 p.m.

Food City, downtown Wilton, Main Street – 8:15 a.m., on request, 12:45 p.m., 2 p.m.

Wilton Senior Housing, Outer Main Street, Eastern Avenue – 8:20 a.m., 9:22 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:50 p.m., 1:55 p.m.

CareerCenter, Route 2 – on request.

Bus stops in Farmington:

Franklin Memorial Hospital Stanley Building, Mt. Blue Health Center – 8:28 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 10:52 a.m., 12:58 p.m., 1:43 p.m.

FMH Medical Arts Center – 8:30 a.m., 9:43 a.m., 10:55 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m.

Wilson Stream Family Practice, Mt. Blue Plaza – 8:35 a.m., 1:05 p.m.

Walmart – 8:40 a.m., 1:15 p.m.

Work First – 9:05 a.m., 1:35 p.m.

Sherwood Apartments, Farmington Court Apartments, Deer Cross/Ethel Walton/Hazel Thompson apartments, Margaret Chase Apartments – on request for later afternoon.

Second bus for stops in Farmington:

Deer Crossing/Ethel Walton/Hazel Thompson apartments – 8:05 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:42 a.m., 2:15 p.m., on request for a later time.

Margaret Chase Smith Apartments, Fairbanks Road – 8:15 a.m., 10:20 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:20 p.m., on request for later time.

108 Fairbanks Road, adult education – on request.

Downtown Farmington stops, on request.

University of Maine at Farmington Health Center (Scott Hall) Main Street – 10:25 a.m., 11:55 a.m. 2:28 p.m. – on request for earlier stop in the morning.

Rite Aid/Park & Ride – 10:30 a.m., noon, 2:35 p.m., on request for earlier stop in morning.

Hannaford Plaza – 10:37 a.m., 12:05 p.m., 2:40 p.m. on request for earlier stop in morning.

Walmart – 10:44 a.m., 12:12 p.m., 2:47 p.m.

Work First – 9:05 a.m., 1:35 p.m.

FMH Stanley Building, Mt. Blue Health Services – 9:25 a.m., 10:50 a.m., 12:17 p.m., 2:52 p.m.

FMH Medical Arts Center – 9:30 a.m., 10:55 a.m., 12:25 p.m., 3 p.m.

Wilson Stream Family Practice, Mt. Blue Plaza – 9:35 a.m., 11 a.m., 3:05 p.m.

Walmart – 9:40 a.m, 11:05 a.m., 3:10 p.m.

Hannaford Plaza/Farmington – 9:42 a.m. 11:12 a.m., 1:40 p.m., 3:15 p.m.

Farmington Falls Road – 9:50 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 1:47 p.m., later stop on request.

Sherwood Apartments, High Street – 9:55 a.m., 11:25 a.m., 1:52 a.m., later stop on request.

UMF Student Union Building – 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:57 p.m., later stop on request.

Farmington Court Apartments, Middle Street – 10:05 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 2:02 p.m., later stop on request.

Top of Broadway, High Street – on request

Copy the Story Link