As described in our previous column, using local buses in Brunswick and Bath can reduce automobile use day to day. Traveling farther afield can likewise become more sustainable thanks to a series of regional bus systems.

From early morning to evening on weekdays, the Metro BREEZ offers frequent round trips between the Brunswick train station and Thompson’s Point in Portland. Intermediate stops include Freeport, Yarmouth and downtown Portland, while two of the northbound runs bypass Brunswick, terminating instead at BIW/Bath Information Center.

Weekend service is limited to Saturdays, with fewer runs and no Bath stops. Riders taking the BREEZ to the Portland Transportation Center can access greater Portland’s transit system, various Concord Coach routes (see below) and Amtrak’s Downeaster train. For details, visit tinyurl.com/567wsftx.

Concord Coach offers two coastal buses daily between Bangor and Portland, one running north to south, the other reversing the route. Note that if you take this bus north from Brunswick or Bath, its early afternoon departure rules out returning by bus on the same day. In Brunswick, passengers meet Concord Coach at the train station; its Bath stop at 10 State Road (Mail It 4 U), though not central, is served by Bath CityBus.

From the Portland Transportation Center terminal, one can connect with Portland transit; Concord Coach buses to central Boston, Logan Airport and New York; and the Downeaster. See concordcoachlines.com for more information.

The Blue Line runs seven round trips, Monday through Friday, between Bath and Lewiston via State Route 196. Service includes Brunswick, Topsham (Topsham Fair Mall and Market Basket), Lisbon and Lisbon Falls. Operated by Western Maine Transportation Services, the Blue Line’s buses do not all follow precisely the same routes, and express buses 1 and 7 require reservations.

In Brunswick, one catches the Blue Line at the train station, Rusty Lantern or Walmart stops, all served by the Link; and in Bath, riders board at the CityBus’s Front Street stop. The Blue Line’s Lewiston terminal provides access to Greyhound’s nationwide network. See tinyurl.com/askffseh for details.

If you wish to travel sustainably and you live in or near Brunswick or Bath, try the bus! Use the Link or CityBus to connect with the BREEZ, Concord Coach or Blue Line — and then go as far as you like.

David Conwell belongs to the nationwide advocacy organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a former member of Brunswick’s Sustainability Committee.