Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 0 16 L O G I S T I C S / T R A N S P O R TAT I O N F O C U S Chain reaction Aroostook County Action Program's workforce development program coordi- nator, Erin Benson, says the program's goal is to help people find sustainable employment with a decent wage, bene- fits and opportunities for upward mobil- ity. Many Aroostook County companies offer those kinds of jobs. Some like Pineland's potato processing operation, are in outlying areas and need to draw employees from surrounding towns. "But if you don't have transporta- tion, you don't have access to a good job," Benson says. at can lead to a chain reaction of consequences. "Benefits like health care are incred- ibly important," says Benson. "If they can get that, it can be a game changer. When you have access to a good job, you can eventually be self-sustaining with your own transportation. But getting to where those good jobs are is critical." e situation has an impact on employers. At Pineland, if employees can't get to work, it affects operations. "If they're carpooling and the person they're carpooling with is out sick or on vacation, they have the risk of not find- ing other transportation," says Nelson. "It has a direct effect on our daily opera- tion. We staff our lines for the optimum production level and if one or two or three employees aren't here, that cer- tainly affects production." Employers and agencies are eager to help. Pineland is in hiring mode, and Nelson didn't give up on the individual who called about pulling his applica- tion. She encouraged him to tour the facility anyway and connected him with the Aroostook County Action Program to see if they could help him through resources, such as assistance to support transportation and to relocate closer to work, depending on eligibility. On the tour, the applicant connected with employees who could help with carpooling, Nelson adds. "Carpooling can be very effective," says Benson, who says she knows of another company that has a carpool set-up from just about every town employees come from. "But you don't know that when you're going to apply for a job," she says. "You're thinking, 'I'd like to apply there, but I can't get there.'" "It's a challenge in northern Maine to do that linking between employees and employers," says Galen Weibley, Presque Isle's director of economic and community development. Door-to-door Another option is the Aroostook Regional Transportation System. e nonprofit runs demand-response, door-to-door transportation services along certain routes via buses and vans. It also coordinates a network of volun- teer drivers using their own vehicles. Customers schedule pick-up at least 24 hours ahead of time. e system also provides contract services. Typically, the system averages 1,600 trips per week (halved this summer due to the pandemic, but now back up to 1,100). e system is vital for con- necting outlying communities with town centers for things like medical appointments, shopping and social visits, says Wells. But its scheduling doesn't always lend itself to workforce needs on a regular basis. e system has designated routes, but they're not the same each day of the week. Speaking hypothetically, Kamm, who is on the ARTS board of directors, poses the example, "If I live, say, in Mapleton and work in Presque Isle, the ARTS bus might serve Mapleton one or two days a week — but what do I do the other three? So it's problematic." e goal for the future is to enhance the system's mix of services, says its executive director, David Dionne. In October ARTS implemented a loop route through Presque Isle. e so-called PI Loop was an offshoot of a group called the Going Places Network — nonprofits, government agencies and businesses convened by ACAP in 2018 in response to the com- munity study that identified transporta- tion as a top issue. e fixed-route loop hit centers of activity such as shopping areas and the city's industrial park. Weibley says the loop proved useful for some workers going to the industrial park. But its one-way nature meant it might take 15 minutes, say, to get from home to work, but 45 minutes to get back home. Discussions to modify the loop were underway when the loop ended in March due to ridership decline with the pandemic. Going Places Network continues to address transportation challenges. "We are exploring options for a proj- ect that may include providing support to individuals that have barriers to driv- ers' education training," says Chandler. "We are also assisting families enrolled in our early care and education pro- grams with vouchers to assist in access to transportation for school, medical and behavior health appointments." Shuttles and ride-shares Aroostook County Action Program has been in conversations with regional employers regarding poten- tial solutions such as employee » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Working cars W orking Cars for Working Families was part of the biennial budget passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2017 but never sent to rule- making until 2020 under Mills Administration. The goal is to connect families without reliable transportation with affordable cars and other transportation options in order to facilitate their ability to work and meet basic needs. The program was set up to use $6 million in funds provided under a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal block grant through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS has proposed rules for the pro- gram, received comments and held a public hearing, and is working to finalize the rules. Once they are finalized, they will be published on the DHHS website. F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY You're thinking, 'I'd like to apply there, but I can't get there.' — Erin Benson Aroostook County Action Program Pineland Farms Potato Co. in Mars Hill draws employees from surrounding towns. A number of employees do not have cars. Without public transportation, those employees depend on carpools.

• Cover