PORTLAND, Maine — Riders who use a state-run van service are asking the Maine Department of Transportation for a yearlong extension of the service.
Transportation officials plan to end the GoMaine program on May 1 because there’s no money to replace its aging passenger vans. About 225 people use the service, which provides rides between various towns and cities around the state.
More than 100 GoMaine riders have signed a letter asking the state to reconsider its decision. Representatives from the group plan to attend a meeting of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee on Thursday afternoon to make their case.
The group is asking that the service be continued for a year to allow the department and riders to explore options to keep the vans rolling.
Free ride is over. Lease your own vans or buy the State vans and provide your own insurance, fuel and maintenance.
What is the rush? I understand this decision was made with no consultation whatsoever with the people it affects. Glad to hear cooler heads on the Trans Cmt are taking a look at what seems to be a rushed decision.
@jimbobhol:disqus
The GoMaine program does not provide a free ride. If you actually read about the program, you would know that riders pay a monthly fee. Those monthly fees have kept the program in the black (AKA profitable) for the past couple years. The only problem is the long-term funding to replace old vans, which is why riders want to work with the DOT to find funding sources to make the program sustainable for the long-term. There is no logical reason to cancel the program on May 1 when it is actually generating revenue.
The privatized vans are not a realistic option. I currently ride a GoMaine van, and I pay $80/month to travel from Waterville to Augusta five days a week. We have looked into the supposedly “competitive” rates for the privatized option, and our rates would increase to at least $250/month. I could drive by myself to work (no carpooling whatsoever) and pay about $120/month. How does that make any sense? The vanpool service is supposed to encourage carpooling by making it economical, not make carpooling more expensive.