BAT Community Connector

BAT Community Connector is a bus system connecting Bangor, Maine, with outlying towns, including Veazie, Orono, Old Town, Brewer, and Hampden. The system is known as The BAT for short.

While the BAT is colloquially known as the "Bangor Area Transit", "BAT" in fact does not mean that or anything else officially despite it implying an acronym by being in all capital letters. The managers of the system did not want to identify it with any one city or town. ["Bangor unveils new bus system" "Bangor Daily News". Bangor, Me. Apr 25, 2002. pg. 2 4 Edition by Jeff Tuttle.] Despite this, "Bangor Area Transit" caught on and many websites referring to the attractions of Bangor, Maine and how to get to them often refer to this public transportation system by the incorrect name. The buses, are distinguished by their bright red color, with all but two spare buses decorated with a large stylized bat on their exteriors.

The Old Town line of the bus runs through the University of Maine and ferries students to and from Bangor and the outlying towns. UMaine struck a deal with BAT allowing students and staff to ride for free, in an attempt to discourage car usage and help ease the limited parking space on campus.

The central hub of the buses (called the Bangor Depot), and the point where most transfers are made, is located in Pickering Square in downtown Bangor. Each of the lines, except for the Mall Hopper, then emanates outward. The bus schedules are well-coordinated so that when a bus arrives in the Bangor Depot, one can generally pick up a connecting bus leaving five to fifteen minutes later.

The Old Town line is shaped like a lasso with the loop of the lasso going around Old Town and the rope of the lasso pointing in to Bangor. The Old Town route serves the University of Maine, and more recently the Orono Research Park. Effective September 4, 2007, the two Old Town busses no longer make an alternating loop, alleviating some confusion, all trips go the same direction. The BAT has also added commuter trips during the morning and evening hours for those on their way to work or school at UMaine.

The BAT system is structured to make it easy for riders to reach points of interest in the Bangor area and serves two Wal-Marts (one in Bangor the other in Brewer), the Bangor Mall, several other shopping centers, and Husson College. In 2003, the Mall Hopper line was added to facilitate easy connections between the Airport Mall, the Bangor Mall, and the Broadway Shopping Center. The Mall Hopper is also the only line not to go through the Bangor Depot.

Several of the newer buses offer plush seats and air-conditioning as well as low floors designed to make it easier for wheelchair passengers to board the bus without having to use a wheelchair lift.All buses are ADA compliant and are wheelchair ready.

One of the unique things about the BAT system is that riders are allowed to get on and off at any intersection along the road, without having to use designated bus stops.

References

External links

* [http://www.bangormaine.gov/cs_publictransit.php City of Bangor BAT website]