ZOOM Express aims to meet southern Maine travel demand with new buses, stops
Courtesy / Prevost
Two new Prevost X3-45 buses have been added to Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit's ZOOM Express service, to accommodate added passenger demand to and from Portland.
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Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit has added two commuter coach buses to accommodate the increasing number of passengers taking the ZOOM Express to Portland, and has added stops in Saco and Portland.
The buses, 2021 Prevost X3-45 commuter coaches, are the first additions to the BSOOB fleet in nearly 10 years and replace two units that were beyond their useful life, according to a news release.
“We’ve worked hard to make and save enough money to buy new instead of used,” said Craig Pendleton, director of external affairs for BSOOB Transit. “With the help of Maine DOT and Federal Transit Administration, we finally have new buses to play with.”
In September, BSOOB Transit was awarded $440,944 by the Federal Transit Administration for operations and administration during the pandemic, part of the federal CARES Act transit funding. Earlier in the year, the transit system was awarded more than $600,000 in CARES Act funding. The state Department of Transportation oversees federal funding for Maine's transit services.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BSOOB added the Prevost driver protection system in each bus. The transparent barrier kit is available for retrofit and offers an encapsulated area for drivers without obstructing visibility.
ZOOM Express service from the three York County communities began in 1998 to bring commuters to Portland, but demographic changes in recent years have upped travel in both directions. Last year, BSOOB Transit ferried more than 360,000 passengers, the transit system said.
The new BSOOB X3-45s began running on the route Monday. New stops are at the Saco Transportation Center and at Mercy Hospital in Portland.
The transit system has partnered with Greater Portland METRO and South Portland Bus Service on the DiriGo Touch Pass system, which makes fares consistent and easier to pay, using a mobile app or plastic card. Buses have readers at the doors for the contactless fare system.
While fares increased along some routes, the new system also eliminates inequities for low-income riders, who traditionally pay per ride, and therefore miss the discount available with monthly passes. The new system allows any amount to be loaded onto the app or card, rather than a required minimum.
The system has a rewards program, technically called fare capping, for riders who use the mobile app or smartcard. Frequent riders' fares are capped after their third boarding of any day and 30th of any month. After these thresholds are met, all subsequent boardings for that day or month are free.
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