Commuting Made Easier & Greener: Workforce Transportation Program

Nearly 4,000 employees descend on BIW’s Bath shipyard daily, with over half of those employees commuting more than 70 miles round trip. 

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) is one of a handful of Maine businesses participating in the Workforce Transportation Pilot program, a workforce program recommended by Maine Won’t Wait and created using Federal funds through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. With funding, BIW was able to expand bus service for employees from Lewiston to Bath, with an additional stop in Lisbon Falls.  The Blue Line Express bus has seen increases in ridership since it began in April and represents a critically reliable means of transportation for employees commuting from the Lewiston area. 

BIW has further expanded its involvement with GO MAINE, the statewide commuter program to help employees find rides to work and offer emergency rides home.  BIW employees have made greener choices by taking vanpools and carpools, biking, walking or telecommuting, amounting to 12,715 greener trips, 270,937 miles not driven, 116 tons of emissions prevented, and 11,890 gallons of gas saved.  BIW commuter participation resulted in the company winning the GO MAINE Team Spirit award for the May 2023 program.  Further expansion to green transportation infrastructure is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.