BANGOR – Commuters who use alternative transportation next week could win free meals, a $200 gas card or a car-free minivacation to Bar Harbor.

The state will celebrate Commute Another Way Week Monday through Friday, May 12-16. The event, sponsored by Go Maine, the statewide commuter services program, will feature van pool Monday, public transit Tuesday, car pool Wednesday, walking Thursday and biking Friday. As an added incentive to daily door prizes, the BAT Community Connector bus will offer free rides all day Tuesday in an attempt to get more people on board with public transportation.

“Gas prices aren’t going down,” said Dianne Rice, transportation technician for the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System. “Some of these vehicles are costing up to $80 to fill.”

Go Maine started Commute Another Way Day in 1995 to help reduce pollution and traffic. Since gas prices have escalated, more people are searching for alternatives to save money.

Last year, 160 people participated in the local event, while more than 5,000 participated statewide, Rice said. Go Maine officials said in one day, the event attracted 500 employers, eliminated approximately 11,400 automobile trips, 117,000 automobile miles, 3 tons of pollution, 4,600 gallons of gas and $76,000 in commuting costs.

Every day throughout the week, one registered commuter within the Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town, Veazie, Orrington, Bradley, Milford, Hampden and Indian Island area will receive breakfast for 10 from Bagel Central and a second person will be drawn for a free lunch for 10 from Subway. The local prizes are topped with a $200 gas card to be drawn on Friday, Rice said. The statewide prizes include a new bicycle, gas cards, transit passes and the minivacation to Bar Harbor, for which area commuters will qualify when registering with Go Maine.

During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which is coming to a close, the BAT has provided more than 800,000 bus rides, up about 3 percent from 780,000 rides provided last year, said Don Cooper, senior transportation planner for BATS. Bus use has increased every month this year when compared to 2006-2007 statistics, Cooper said. During last year’s event, 3,044 area commuters used the BAT free of charge, he said.

“People are really feeling it in their pocketbooks,” Cooper said. “Right now [the bus] is running at historically high levels. We have never run this heavily before.”

To register for the event or for information, visit www.gomaine.org.

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