Island Explorer Bus System Celebrates 10 Millionth Passenger!
Island Explorer Bus System Celebrates 10 Millionth Passenger!
Fare-free, Propane-Powered System Carries Thousands Every Year
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Gary Friedmann for State Representative.
BAR HARBOR—”Something is going on,” said the man hopping off the Island Explorer bus at the Bar Harbor Village Green on Wednesday afternoon.
The woman behind him made wide eyes.
“Something,” she said, eyeing the people standing in clusters on the sidewalk, the television crew, the multitude of cameras facing their direction, “is definitely going on.”
Something was definitely going on Wednesday and something has been definitely going on since 1999 and even before. But, Wednesday afternoon was the celebration of a milestone as the Island Explorer, the fare-free, propane-powered bus system that carries people around Acadia National Park and area communities had its 10 millionth passenger September 25.
Beth Gearhart, visiting from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, hopped on the bus at Sand Beach heading to Bar Harbor, and off the bus to applause and received flowers and presents from both Friends of Acadia and L.L.Bean, which is a significant financial supporter of the bus system, which turned 25 this year.
Representatives of Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Downeast Transportation, Maine Department of Transportation, and L.L.Bean greeted Gearhart and the other riders.
“We celebrate Beth for her smart decision to ride the Island Explorer,” said Lisa Horsch Clark, Friends of Acadia’s vice president of development and donor relations. “Not only is she reducing traffic congestion in the park, but she is reducing carbon emissions and the release of harmful air pollutants.”
It was Gearhart’s first visit to Acadia National Park and she filled her day up with a “white-knuckle” hike on Bee Hive, Gorham Mountain, and then along the shoreline.
“It was beautiful,” she enthused before Clark presented her with presents.
Back in 1999, just 123,000 or so hopped onto the Explorer (counting returning riders), the next year, as the system doubled its busses from eight to 17, it added 50,000 more riders.
The goals were to decrease personal vehicle use in Acadia National Park and summer congestion throughout Mount Desert Island, and to reduce air pollution in Acadia.
In 2022, L.L. Bean pledged $1.5 million spread over five years to help support the system, which will use the Acadia Gateway in Trenton as a hub. Friends of Acadia also recently purchased property in Trenton to try to help house drivers for the busses.
“The drivers,” said Paul Murphy, executive director of Downeast Transportation, “They make us go.”
Murphy also thanked staff and the people behind the scenes, who he said were responsible for the Island Explorer’s success right along with the organizations, grants, and businesses that have supported its mission.
This summer the system received $23.5 million via the Maine Department of Transportation for the Electrify Downeast Acadia Project.
Since its inception, it is estimated that the bus system has eliminated more than 3.6 million private vehicle trips in the park and has prevented the release of over 33,000 tons of greenhouse gases and 51 tons of smog-causing pollutants.
The Island Explorer picks up passengers at hotels and campgrounds throughout the communities surrounding the park and connects them to routes that travel to park destinations for a seamless recreational experience.
Downeast Transportation is the non-profit organization that operates the Island Explorer bus system. Murphy thanked Gearhart as well as the 90 employees who help visitors find their way.
“I am so grateful to the drivers and ambassadors who serve our passengers every day with professionalism and care. Each year, we survey our passengers and, time and again, the results show that our employees are exemplary in their work,” Murphy said.
The National Park Service, which contributes a portion of every weekly and annual Acadia entrance pass to the bus system is one of the Island Explorer’s many partners.
“The Island Explorer is key to helping visitors access hiking trails, carriage roads, and other popular destinations in Acadia National Park without the worry of having to deal with parking congestion,” Superintendent Kevin Schneider said in a press release. Schneider was unable to attend Wednesday’s event. “We thank the staff of Downeast Transportation, Inc. for its continued service to the community and congratulate them on achieving this remarkable milestone!”
Deputy Superintendent Brandon Bies and Acadia’s Management Assistant John Kelly, helped greet Ms. Gearhart.
The U.S. and Maine Departments of Transportation, municipalities surrounding the park, and area businesses also support the transit system. Passengers have the option of leaving an on-board donation, which generates around $50,000 annually for the Island Explorer.
L.L.Bean and FOA have been long-time partners in funding Island Explorer operations and in encouraging visitors to be good stewards of the park through messaging on the buses. Since 2002, L.L.Bean’s contributions and pledges to the bus system have totaled $5.5 million.
The Island Explorer runs twelve routes through Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities. Most Island Explorer routes will run through October 14, 2024, but the Bicycle Express to Eagle Lake concludes on September 30, 2024. Information and schedules are available online at www.exploreacadia.com.
Photos: Shaun Farrar/Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story
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