The Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD), also known as Casco Bay Lines, is a quasi-municipal, non-profit corporation, established by the State of Maine in 1981 through emergency legislation to ensure the continuation of service to the islands of Casco Bay following more than a century of private ownership plagued by bankruptcies and unreliable service.
The CBITD Board of Directors and staff work diligently to ensure that CBITD can continue to serve as the “lifeline” for island residents and provide all passengers with safe, affordable, dependable and reliable transportation. This is no small task. Only a decade ago, CBITD experienced the impact of the Great Recession and faced a $1M deficit. Since then, CBITD has experienced rapid growth in passenger, vehicle and freight traffic, in some cases causing strain on the existing operation. Improved economic conditions and operational growth, in combination with recent federal grant awards, allow for long-term investments in foundational components of the operation to account for this growth and prepare for future challenges.
For example, the CBITD ferry terminal on the Maine State Pier was built in 1988 when Casco Bay Lines moved from its cramped location on Custom House Wharf. Over the past eight years, improvements designed to enhance the overall long-term operational capabilities of the terminal have been initiated in phases as part of the Terminal Renovation Project.
Additionally, the CBITD Board of Directors undertook a long-range planning process four years ago and agreed upon a number of priorities for securing the long-term financial health of the district. This work resulted in the Schedule Analysis Project and the Fleet Evaluation Project. Both are designed to optimize foundational components of CBITD operations.
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Along with any future initiatives, these three projects are intended to set CBITD on course to successfully sustain this lifeline for the next 20 years, and beyond.