PEOPLES HERITAGE, METRO TO ANNOUNCE PROGRAM TO PROMOTE "FAST" SERVICE

Campaign involves new "vinyl wrap" that surrounds buses with photographic images

PORTLAND - Peoples Heritage Bank and METRO will take their message to the street on Friday, unveiling a novel new way to promote public transportation and a new bank slogan - a city bus wrapped entirely in photographic images called "vinyl wrap."

A first for Peoples, the wrap will cover the entire exterior of the buses so that passengers can see out, but others can't see in. The images will tout the bank's new ad campaign but also bring attention to METRO's new "FAST" (Forest Avenue Smart Travel) service that provides bus service every 15 minutes along Forest Avenue from Westbrook to downtown Portland.

A bus with the colorful new wrap will be unveiled Friday at 11 a.m. in front of the Peoples Heritage Bank headquarters at One Portland Square at the corner of Middle and Temple Streets in the Old Port. Bank president Mike McNamara will board the bus with METRO officials and ride the new FAST service corridor on the bus. [Media are invited to ride along or cover the event as they board from the headquarters.]

"It's a great way to bring attention to this important new METRO program," said McNamara. "And it fits in with our philosophy of promoting community service at all levels. What better way to do that than by taking it to the street, literally."

The bank has made a 24-month commitment to use either the vinyl wrap or exterior bus advertising with METRO to help draw the public's attention to the benefits of public transit and the city's new "FAST" service along Forest Avenue. METRO is expecting that the expansion of the Forest Avenue corridor service will increase bus ridership among the thousands of residents who live and work along the Forest Avenue corridor and who work downtown.

Four new, clean-diesel, low-floor buses have been added to the route, which will run from 6:15 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. Monday through Friday. METRO is the largest public transit system in the state, and serves more than 1.2 million persons each year. About 17,000 live along the Forest Avenue corridor and more than 250 businesses are located along the route.

"Reducing cars on the road, both for environmental reasons and to reduce traffic, that's good for the community," added McNamara. "We're glad we can be a part of it."

"The METRO is very pleased and excited about this unique partnership and service to help enhance the quality of life in the Greater Portland area," said Peter Hefler, general manager at METRO.

Peoples Heritage Bank, part of the Banknorth Group based in Portland, is a Maine- based bank with 69 branches throughout the state, five of which operate as Oxford Bank & Trust, a division of the bank.
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