PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On Tuesday, the Going Places Network — which had operated the Presque Isle Loop bus service in collaboration with the Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS) and Loop leadership — announced that the Loop would not be resuming service.
The Loop project’s primary donor, Mary Smith, and Presque Isle Loop leadership have provided the two buses used in the program to SAD 1 and Northern Maine Community College, both of whom are members of the Going Places Network.
Bus service had been halted since late March when ARTS announced it had pulled out of operating the Loop amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Going Places Network said the announcement came after they were unable to find a viable operator to replace ARTS.
The Presque Isle Loop began rides on Oct. 15, 2019, intending to expand public transportation in a city that can be difficult to navigate without a vehicle. Over its five-month life, the Loop provided more than 3,600 rides to residents. Its official end of service will further limit public transportation options in The County.
Smith said she was saddened about the loss of the Loop. She praised the effort community leaders put into the program and said she had provided the buses to Northern Maine and Community College and SAD 1 so they could continue to serve Presque Isle.
Though the Loop will come to an end, Smith said she hopes to see a similar bus service in Presque Isle’s future.
“The flex route service in Presque Isle is still possible. The framework of the PI Loop still exists,” Smith said. “It will take a strong leader who can bring this necessary service to the community in the future.”
In early April, ARTS Executive Director David Dionne attributed the halting of the service to the COVID-19 pandemic and low ridership. At that time, Going Places Network leadership said patronage had not been as high as they had hoped “at this point,” but called it “strong, consistent and growing.”
The Presque Isle Loop leadership team consisted of the Going Places Network and representatives from the city of Presque Isle, ARTS and the Aroostook County Action Program.
The Going Places Network — a group of community representatives from across Presque Isle — said it would continue to work on transportation-related projects. It said it was beginning to focus on County-wide transportation programs, including an upcoming initiative that would provide cars to “working families.”
“The need for better and more transportation for residents of Aroostook County remains,” Going Places Network Co-Chair LeRae Kinney said. “We are undaunted and ready to move forward … to find new and innovative solutions to a problem that has long faced our communities.”
