In 1955 I left Windham, population 3,500. Windham had no public transportation and with no car, I had to live where I could get to work. Earlier in the 1950s, there had been a regular schedule of bus service from Little Falls (South Windham) to Westbrook and Portland, but for whatever reason, this had been discontinued by 1955.
In 1970, I returned to my hometown to find the population had doubled in 15 years, but there was still no public transportation. During those years away, I had come to depend on bus, subway and taxi, and still had not learned to drive.
Thirty-six years have passed; the population is hovering around 16,000 in Windham; the population is aging, and public transportation is needed more than ever. While retail stores abound in the town, many medical service centers are miles away – at a time when many older citizens have curtailed their driving.
Municipal government and some organizations have recognized the problem, but few have actually done anything to solve it. Regional Transportation Program in Portland, is one agency which actively provides solutions.
Established in 1976, RTP is a United Way agency that provides door-to-door transportation to the elderly, social service agency clients, economically disadvantaged and persons with disabilities. RTP serves more than 4,500 people countywide, providing about 1,000 rides a day to people to get to medical appointments, work, grocery shopping and other necessary services. Several programs serve different types of riders.
Commuter Bus
A bus service operates in most Cumberland County towns on a regular basis. The round trip fare is $1 within one town, $2 between neighboring towns, and $4 for longer Cumberland County trips. The one-way fare is the same as the round-trip fare.
Anyone can take advantage of RTP’s county bus routes. Ride the bus for shopping, hospital visits, city errands, a visit to the public library, or any other purpose.
All senior citizens ride free, however, a donation is sincerely appreciated.
Call 774-2666 or 1-800-244-0704 to request a ride. Dispatchers are on duty from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Most county bus trips arrive in Portland by 10 a.m. and leave by 2 p.m. Additional early morning service is available on some routes. Call the RTP office, and the dispatcher will tell you where and when you can get on the bus in your town.
The bus service is provided to Gorham on Monday and Friday; Windham, Gray and New Gloucester on Tuesday; Casco, Naples and Raymond on Tuesday and Wednesday; Bridgton on Wednesday; Scarborough on Thursday and Sebago, Baldwin and Standish on Friday.
Other bus service
Local bus service is available in Falmouth on Mondays; Gray and New Gloucester to Windham on Thursdays; Raymond to Windham on Thursdays; Yarmouth to Falmouth on Wednesdays; Westbrook Senior Lunch Program on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and local bus service in Windham on Thursday.
If no bus is available or a special route is requested, RTP uses volunteer drivers to pick you up at your door and take you where you need to go. Call 774-2666 or 800-244-0704 to request a ride.
Seniors Shopper’s Express
RTP offers weekly bus service for seniors living in apartment complexes in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook to supermarkets and shopping malls in the Greater Portland area, where you have a full hour to shop before the return ride.
RTP drivers help carry grocery bags from the bus to apartment building lobbies. The ride is free, although a $1 donation is gratefully accepted to help pay for the trip.
Senior citizen complexes served by the program include:
Monday
* Eunice Frye Home: Westgate Shopping Mall
* Hillcrest Trailer Park: Scarborough Shopping Mall
* St. Barnabus: Westgate Shopping Mall
Tuesday
* Congress Square: Westgate Shopping Mall
* Ridgeland Estates: Millcreek Shopping Mall
* Riverview Terrace: Bradlees
* Trelawny: Westgate Shopping Mall
Wednesday
* Harbor Terrace: to Millcreek Shopping Mall
* Longfellow Commons: Westgate Shopping Mall
* Longfellow Place: Bradlees
* 100 State Street: Millcreek Shopping Mall
* Washington Gardens/Penbrook: Northgate Shopping Mall
Thursday
* Broadway East: Millcreek Shopping Mall
* Deering Pavilion: Northgate Shopping Mall
* Franklin Towers: Westgate Shopping Mall
* Millcove: Millcreek Shopping Mall
Friday
* 1700 Broadway: Scarborough Shopping Mall
* Butler School: Westgate Shopping Mall
* Landry Village: Scarborough Shopping Mall
* North School: to Falmouth Shopping Mall
* Northfield Green: Northgate Shopping Mall
* Northgate Apartments: Westgate Shopping Mall
* 197 Pine Street: Westgate Shopping Mall
Buses pick up passengers at Longfellow Commons and North School at 9:15 a.m. All other pickups are at 9:30 a.m. Reservations are not required.
Medicaid – Healthcare trips
RTP provides free bus passes for Medicaid recipients who make three or more healthcare related trips a month. Simply go to the RTP office at 127 St. John Street for a pass, or call 774-2666 or 1-800-244-0704 for more information about this program. Dependable door-to-door transportation by an RTP bus or van, by volunteer drivers, by your family or friends or by METRO bus passes is available.
Volunteer Drivers
Family members or friends who drive someone to their Medicaid appointments may receive reimbursement as part of a program offered by RTP. Trips must be approved by RTP in advance.
RTP is always seeking volunteer drivers. Frequently volunteer drivers are essential, especially in the rural areas, to make sure people can get to their doctor’s appointment.
To get more information on how you can make use of RTP, call the numbers in the above article. Any reader who has used, or does use, this service, or volunteer drivers who would like to share their experience, may contact me at the Lakes Region Suburban Weekly, 892-1166.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
