Disclaimer: The views I express here are my own and should NOT be construed as speaking for the City of Bangor or the City Council of Bangor.
Click here to read the meeting agenda.
Community Connector: Ridership Up 21%, Driver Shortage Persists
Community Connector ridership has jumped 21% in just the first three months of 2026 — the largest spike anyone at the table could remember — driven largely by surging fuel prices. Diesel costs have climbed sharply, going from $2.91 per gallon in January to $4.33 in March, which is pushing more people onto the bus.
Despite the good news on ridership, Community Connector continues to wrestle with a national problem: 86% of transit agencies across the country are experiencing driver shortages, and Bangor is no exception. The system — which serves Bangor and five surrounding communities plus UMaine, offering both fixed-route and ADA paratransit service — has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic peak of over one million rides per year (hit in 2012–13). Getting back to full, reliable service is the stated goal.
Bangor’s share of the cost is surprisingly modest. Total system expenses run around $7.4 million, but because Community Connector is a small direct recipient of federal transit funds, those dollars can offset day-to-day operating costs (unlike larger agencies that can only use federal money for capital). The result: Bangor covers only about 32%, or roughly $2.3 million, of the total tab.
The Cold Bus Barn Project
One major capital initiative discussed was the Cold Bus Barn rehabilitation — a roughly $10 million project to renovate the aging facility and attach a workforce development training center. Of that $10 million, $7.8 million is already secured in federal grant funding, Maine DOT is contributing $1 million, and the partner communities have agreed to share the remaining $1 million, which Bangor has been setting aside in four annual installments.
New Program Request: Moving Drivers to Full-Time
The biggest budget ask from Community Connector is funding to begin transitioning part-time drivers to full-time status. Leadership argued this is essential for recruitment and retention — making bus driving an actual career rather than a side gig — and ultimately for restoring consistent, dependable service on all routes.
EMCC Partnership for CDL Training
In exciting news, a new partnership is being finalized with Eastern Maine Community College, which has just been re-accredited by the state to offer entry-level CDL training. The partnership could provide a more affordable path for future drivers (Pell grants apply, and the Alfond reimbursement grant offers up to $1,200), and would benefit not just Community Connector but also city public works and private employers. Councilors across the board expressed enthusiasm.
Public Health Department
Public Health presented next, emphasizing the department’s breadth — about 45 staff members running programs from WIC and STI clinics to immunizations, lactation services, general assistance, and community paramedicine — and flagging the increasingly unstable federal and state funding landscape.
A few highlights:
- The department’s $8 million annual budget is only about 20% city general funds. The rest comes from grants and other sources, including state-funded programs like WIC (which has been with Bangor for all 52 years of the program’s existence).
- Low staff turnover was cited as a department strength — two employees have over 30 years with the city.
- When asked what would happen if the department were dissolved, the Director was direct: the state would not pick up the slack. Programs like WIC would go out to RFP, and Bangor would lose control of those services entirely.
- The department is pursuing an electronic health records system to enable billing for clinical services (lactation, STI, immunizations, case management) — a step toward greater financial independence.
- The lactation clinic has taken off, filling a gap left as hospital OB programs have closed. Northern Light refers patients to the city clinic directly.
- A community paramedicine program is pending state licensure, expected to launch soon.
- The department is starting a mosquito surveillance program this year as part of a statewide effort, given increased mosquito-borne disease activity in the Bangor area.
One councilor asked whether general assistance (GA) applicants from other towns can somehow qualify in Bangor when they can’t at home. The Director explained the standards are the same statewide, but Bangor’s larger, more experienced GA staff is simply better at walking applicants through the nuanced process — and at holding the line when needed.
Housing: Two New Positions, Big Results, and Bigger Ambitions
The most substantive discussion of the night centered on two new position requests from the Public Health Department — both tied to housing stabilization.
Housing Support Navigator: The Numbers Tell the Story
For about a year, the city has run a Housing Stabilization and Navigation Program funded by a $400,000 (two-year) Maine Housing grant. The program, built from scratch, focuses not on case management but on the practical, hands-on work of keeping newly housed people from being evicted — helping with budgets, cleaning, furniture, back rent negotiations with landlords, and skill-building.
Results from year one:
- 168 referrals received
- 107 clients remained housed when cases were closed out
- 91 of those individuals are still housed today
- Cost per person served: approximately $1,869–$2,200
I conservatively estimated the program likely saved the region at least $2.5 million in emergency services by keeping those 91 people housed. The grant runs through December; the department is asking for city funds to continue the position beyond that.
Homeless Response Coordinator
The city is also requesting ongoing funding for a Homeless Response Coordinator position. This position is currently filled and works systemwide — with warming shelters, case managers, and landlords — focusing particularly on long-term, high-utilizer individuals for whom conventional services haven’t worked. Landlords who built relationships with the housing navigator program are now proactively calling the city to offer available units.
One councilor raised concern about the influx of individuals from outside Bangor, particularly in recent weeks as warming shelters have closed. The Director acknowledged the complexity, noting that the Homeless Response Coordinator focuses mainly on long-term Bangor residents with the most complex needs — the “high utilizers” who cycle through EMS, hospitals, and crisis services repeatedly.
What’s on the Horizon: Shared Housing, Simulation Spaces, and a 50-Unit Building
The Director also shared a forward-looking “menu” of potential investments — none formally proposed, but worth watching:
- A tenant readiness program being developed by the Homeless Response Coordinator, including a possible “housing simulation” space — essentially a mock apartment where people transitioning out of homelessness can practice the practical skills of indoor living before moving in.
- Sprinkler system funding to enable shared housing arrangements (three unrelated people on separate leases in one unit). This turns out to be one of the biggest barriers to expanding housing options — landlords interested in the model can’t pursue it without expensive sprinkler upgrades.
- A potential 50-unit building (a former nursing home near downtown) that Together Place is exploring acquiring for transitional and permanent supportive housing, possibly with a Housing First model.
