LAKES REGION – On its maiden voyage, the Lakes Region Shuttle carried one Raymond resident to her day job in Portland.

Charlotte Carroll, 39, the bus’ first official passenger (not including a Lakes Region Weekly reporter and Regional Transportation Program employees), boarded the shuttle at the Windham Mall, and got off at the Metro Pulse stop in Portland, where she works as an administrative support technician at the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Station on Congress Street.

“It’s nice,” Carroll said. “I don’t (have to) deal with traffic.”

The bus, which set out from the American Legion Hall in Naples a few minutes after 6 a.m., pulled into the Metro Pulse stop at 7:16 – just four minutes behind schedule. No

one else boarded as the shuttle traveled back to Naples on Route 302, passing long stretches of bumper-to-bumper traffic in the opposite lane.

The driver, Dot O’Connell, a Naples resident and longtime RTP employee, said she was “surprised” that there had been no traffic heading into Portland on the first run.

“I thought people coming into work, it would be a lot heavier,” she said. “But a lot of people don’t go to work that early, either.”

In other words, Dan Goodman, the customer and community relations director for RTP who has spent nearly a year designing the new route, appeared to have achieved the “soft rollout” he desired, at least initially.

“We wanted a soft rollout to work out any kinks in the schedule, or any issues with the bus or the schedule or the route,” Goodman said. “The schedule is looking aligned quite nicely. I’m happy with the schedule. Running for the first hour and 43 minutes, the schedule is looking really good and the buses are running smoothly.”

Carroll, who usually drives her 2010 Jeep Liberty to work, plans to ride the shuttle every weekday. Once RTP starts charging fares, she expects to save roughly $150 in gas money every month.

“I think it will save me money and gas to get to work, so I think it’s a positive thing,” Carroll said. “I was actually surprised that I was the first passenger. I thought that more people would take advantage of it going into work. But maybe they just don’t know about it yet.”

Until the end of the year, the shuttle will offer free rides. Starting in 2014, one-way fares will cost $3, 10-ride passes $25, and one-month passes $75.

“We chose to offer free service for the first five weeks because we feel it’s a good chance for people who maybe have never used public transportation to give it a try,” Goodman said.

RTP officials considered a zone-specific pricing system, Goodman said, but concluded that it would be too complicated. According to Goodman, a $6 flat-fare for a round-trip from Naples to Portland and back is well worth it.

“I don’t think you can just factor in gas,” he said. “I think you need to factor in the wear and tear on your vehicle, the commute time, sitting in traffic. To some, $6 will be a bargain.”

The shuttle will run back and forth on Route 302 between Naples and Portland every weekday, starting in Naples at 6 a.m., and ending there at 8:20 p.m. It will not run on federal holidays or Patriots Day.

The shuttle stops include the American Legion Hall in Naples, the Clyde Bailey Drop-In Center in Casco, Sunset Variety in Raymond, the cinema entrance at the North Windham Mall, Prides Corner at 33 Elmwood Ave. in Westbrook, and Metro Pulse in Portland.

RTP purchased the bus with a mix of federal and state funds. The bus, which carries free wireless Internet, has room for 22 sitting passengers, two wheelchair users and nine standing passengers.

RTP is still seeking to hire two part-time drivers to help operate the bus.

There is a possibility that the Lakes Region Shuttle might eventually expand service into Bridgton, Goodman said.

“We will constantly be evaluating this bus route and always looking for expansion opportunities, looking to expand into Bridgton, looking to add more stops along the route,” he said.

RTP bus driver Dot O’Connell checks the equipment on the Lakes Region bus before the inaugural run on Monday, Nov. 25.The new RTP Lakes Region Shuttle bus warms up in the parking lot of American Legion Post 155 in Naples before its inaugural run before sunrise on Monday, Nov. 25.Dan Goodman, the RTP customer and community relations coordinator, talks with bus driver Dot O’Connell aboard the Lakes Region bus before the inaugural run on Monday, Nov. 25.

Copy the Story Link