A local bus service in western Maine, connecting Rumford, Mexico and Dixfield will cease operations at the end of March due to lack of ridership.
The short-lived River Valley Bus had just been announced this past November.
But according to Western Maine Transportation Services, the average ridership is currently just three to four passengers daily, which is not enough for the line to be financially viable.
With transportation making up 49% of Maine's fossil fuel emissions, increasing public transportation options is part of the Maine Climate Council's path to net zero emissions. But maintaining service has often proved a challenge in Maine, a large, rural state.
Barring a major upswing in ridership, the River Valley bus service will end on March 28.
Craig Zurhorst, community manager for Western Maine Transportation Services, said the organization will pilot three other bus lines in March: a commuter run between Lewiston, Norway and South Paris; an evening service in the Oxford/South Paris area; and an evening service in the Farmington/Wilton area.