With the support of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) is now offering public transportation services in Hancock and Washington counties. The organizations quickly mobilized and facilitated the new service when a previous provider halted operations on September 30. The new service began on October 21.
WCAP operates MidCoast Public Transportation, providing public transportation in Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties. With the cessation of public transportation services by Downeast Community Partners, WCAP is working in partnership with MaineDOT to establish services in Hancock and Washington Counties.
WCAP has set up a satellite office at the Union River Center for Innovation in Ellsworth and hired office staff and drivers to provide demand response Public Transportation in the region. WCAP is reaching out to former Downeast Community Partners passengers but any member of the public in the Washington-Hancock County regions is encouraged to call (207) 664-0012 Monday-Friday from 7:30 am to 4 pm to explore transportation services options. The services are ADA / wheelchair accessible and available to all community members in Washington and Hancock counties. Passengers may also provide contact information to stay updated regarding future service expansions.
WCAP is excited about the opportunity to assist the communities of Ellsworth and the Downeast region with demand response public transportation services. Recent studies have clearly indicated that the region is growing, and that the need for additional transportation services is growing as well. An April 2025 report from the J.T Gorman foundation “Moving Towards Solutions” concluded that the unmet transportation need of households in Hancock and Washington counties currently exceeds 1.2 million trips per year. The immediate focus of WCAP is to assist passengers recently left without public transportation from the closure of Downeast Community Partners, and then to look further at expanding into more public transportation opportunities.
“We are so excited to have WCAP here,” commented Twila Fisher, Ellsworth Economic Development Director. “There is great synergy between WCAP’s vision for future transportation options and the City’s USDOT Thriving Communities Program initiative for the High Street Corridor.”
To schedule service with the new WCAP Public Transportation services please call (207) 664 0012, Monday – Friday from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm.
Other available service options in the region:
West’s Transportation: Tel: 800 596-2823
Ridesource Transportation: (207) 743-7433
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About the Union River Center for Innovation (URCI)
The Union River Center for Innovation provides entrepreneurs and startups the opportunity to grow their companies by providing the resources necessary to get a business up and running. The Center offers all-inclusive office rentals, coworking spaces, conference room rental, entrepreneurial workshops and informational sessions, and on-site free entrepreneurial advising and mentoring.
About WCAP
Waldo Community Action Partners is a charitable, educational, 501(c)(3) private non-profit organization located in Belfast, Maine. It is designed to utilize and mobilize public and private resources to assist low-income residents in the alleviation of poverty and address its underlying causes.