Portland Metro Marked 50 Year Anniversary with Record Ridership

Greater Portland Transit District (Metro) formed in 1966, reached record ridership of 1.81 million in 2016. This shatters the 1.57 million mark reached in 2015, which saw the highest numbers in almost thirty years. 2016 ridership of 1,810,825 is a 15% increase from the 1,568,136 reached in 2015.

Since 2013, Metro has delivered several system improvements and programs to improve transit service and infrastructure. These have included improvements to weekday frequencies, reliability and route improvements, increased Sunday service, new bus shelters, real-time bus arrival information, express bus service to Freeport and Yarmouth and transit pass programs.

“This is an exciting time for public transit in the region. I’ve been a member of the Metro board since 2007, but I have seen the most growth in the system during the last three years,” said Metro Board President John Thompson. “The service expansion to Yarmouth and Freeport and introduction of ‘real time’ transit information creates more transit access for this region than ever before with several more improvements planned for the future, including a major expansion for the communities of Gorham, Portland and Westbrook.”

About the recent ridership gains, Metro’s General Manager, Greg Jordan said, “We’re seeing first hand that people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds are looking for easier ways to live and travel in southern Maine. We recognize there is much more work to do, but Metro will continue striving to improve and innovate the quality and experience of using public transit while expanding its reach and accessibility. We also recognize that bike, pedestrian, ADA and transit supportive development is equally important to building a high-quality transit system, and we are eager to partner with local and state leaders and the development community on this front.”

What’s Next?

On Monday, February 6, 2017, the Brunswick Town Council is expected to vote on an option to join the Metro Breez bus service as part of the existing pilot transit project. If approved, the Metro Breez bus service would provide express service between Portland, Yarmouth, Freeport and Brunswick and could begin in summer 2017.

Up to 15 new lighted bus shelters will be installed across the service area in 2017, followed by the installation of real-time bus arrival digital displays at selected bus shelters in 2018-19.

Metro is working to advance the USM Pass Program and Transit West Service Improvements Project in partnership with the University of Southern Maine (USM), Town of Gorham and the City of Westbrook. This project will 1) establish an unlimited access transit pass program for the approximately 8,000 students enrolled at the University of Southern Maine, 2) expand public transportation to the town of Gorham, 3) connect the Gorham and Portland USM campuses with a limited stop, higher speed transit link that will be fully open to the general public, and 4) improve transit frequency and coverage in the core communities of Portland, South Portland and Westbrook. Pending acquisition of all necessary grant funding, this project is scheduled to launch in August 2018.

Metro plans to implement an electronic fare collection system in 2018. The system will allow for the use of electronic passes versus paper based passes/tickets. The project may also deploy smart card or mobile fare payment options in subsequent phases.

19 new replacement buses will be delivered between 2018-2020. These buses will be larger than most buses in Metro’s existing fleet and provide passengers with a more modern transit experience.