Regional planners will hold a public meeting Sept. 22 to hear from community members about the best way to provide a rapid public transportation service between Portland, Westbrook and Gorham.

The project’s purpose, need, goals, study area and findings so far will be discussed at the open-house style meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, according to the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

A virtual public meeting will be held the following week on Sept. 28 from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. Register on the project website, RapidTransitForME.org.

Planners at the Greater Portland Council of Governments are also asking the public to fill out an online survey, available in six languages, also available on the project website. In addition, the regional planning agency will be conducting several in-person pop-up events in Gorham, Westbrook and Portland the week of Sept. 19.

“We want to know how a rapid transit line might be useful for them, where they would want it to go, and what their hopes and concerns about such a project are,”  Ericka Amador, regional transportation planner at GPCOG said in a press release.

Planners are studying the expected benefits and impacts of the different options for rapid transit as well as the current bus service.

There currently is no funding to establish rapid transit service, but the study will allow transit agencies to apply for federal funding.  Planners will complete the study next year, according to GPCOG.