Bus shelter OK’d for UM by council

BANGOR – Though some balked at the cost, city councilors voted 5-2 on Monday night to move forward with a new bus shelter for the University of Maine campus in nearby Orono, which is part of the regional BAT Community Connector bus system the city operates.

The 10-by-20-foot shelter, will cost about $35,000 to purchase and install. It will be installed behind the Memorial Union, where as many as 30 to 35 people can be found waiting to board the bus at any given time.

The city has received approval for a $19,569 grant from the Maine Department of Transportation toward the cost. A 20 percent local match will be provided by the university, which also will cover installation and out-of-pocket costs amounting to about $15,250, more than $10,000 of which will come in the form of in-house labor.

Part of the problem some councilors had with the shelter, including councilors Patricia Blanchette and Gerry Palmer, was that it was much larger than the 5-by-8-foot structures most commonly used in the BAT system.

The most common size for shelters used in the BAT network is 5 feet by 8 feet, which would have cost $6,500.

BAT Superintendent Joe McNeil, however, said the larger shelter was needed at UM to accommodate the number of riders there, which has spiked in recent years.

Several councilors also questioned the need for a hip roof rather than a flat roof. The decision to go with the hip roof was based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. A flat roof might not be able to support the potential snow load, given the shelter’s span.

The bus shelter issue first came before the full council during a regular meeting on July 9, at which time it was rejected in a 4-4 tie vote. The matter then went before the council’s finance committee for additional review.

When the bus shelter issue resurfaced Monday, Palmer and Blanchette remained opposed.