Officials say ridership on the Old Orchard Beach Trolley bus is on the rise. The increase is 11 percent compared with last year, according to Al Schutz, executive director of ShuttleBus-Zoom.

This is good news for Old Orchard Beach and good news for the state.

Public transportation cuts back on emissions, road wear, traffic and parking shortages ”“ and is especially important in places like Old Orchard Beach where the roads are packed with summer visitors.

We’re pleased to hear so many people are turning to this environmentally-friendly and economical way to get around the town in the summer.

The trolley service is also working with local businesses like campgrounds and hotels to coordinate service for visitors to get to the beach and local attractions, which is a mutually beneficial arrangement. It is encouraging to see local businesses working together to offer a much-needed service in the area.

If more public transportation could be utilized year-round in the area, the benefits would be great. Millions of people rely on trains and buses everyday in this country in cities like Boston, New York and Chicago and they don’t have cars at all, which means no costly gas or parking and no car payments, insurance and repairs. Using public transportation cuts back on our need for oil and also reduces our carbon footprint by keeping cars off the roads.

It seems this trend of embracing public transportation is not confined to just Old Orchard Beach, either.

York County Community Action’s transportation services had an overall increase of about 1 percent, but saw a more than 20 percent increase on its Sanford Ocean Shuttle last summer season, a year-round route for the organization that travels from Sanford to the coastline. The organization projected close to a 30 percent increase on that route for 2010 compared to 2009.

The group saw a decrease on its Kennebunk Shuttle, which staff said was most likely due to construction on Main Street in Kennebunk.

People are also heading to public transportation for commuting and long-distance trips to Boston.

The Amtrak Downeaster, which runs from Portland to Boston with stops in Saco and Wells, has seen an 8 percent increase in ridership so far this year compared with last.

People may be heading to the train and bus stations to save money in these uncertain economic times, but they are also supporting an industry that employs millions of people while saving energy, cutting emissions and reducing damage to roads and bridges. As the country works its way back to financial health, we hope riders of public transportation will continue to take advantage of this beneficial resource and take the train, bus or trolley to work, to the beach, or to the supermarket so public transportation can expand and be offered to more people in more places. 

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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.