PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 2, 2021
Two years ago, mass transit was on a roll in southern Maine, with growing ridership, new services and attempts to structure new development around public transportation links. Then the pandemic hit. Service was restricted for months and passengers avoided the bus and train. Transit agencies only avoided financial catastrophe with federal relief. Maine’s economy has rebounded from the pits of the pandemic, but mass transit has not. Some regional planners think the only way to get riders back and attract new ones is to invest in transit expansion and innovation.