Nothing is ever mentioned about the impact of the mass tourism on the rest of Mount Desert Island . This summer we had family visit. We wanted to take a hike. Picked 4 choices. ALL four parking lots full and cars among the road until cones marked gif end of parking. If any of us need or want to go to BH fur any reason, circle constantly finding a slot to park. Then pay $4,00 an hour. As a result we can’t gather with friends any longer.
Then there’s the traffic which is horrendous. It’s terrible- driving too fast on our narrow roads - no hard shoulders. Coming round corners on the wrong side of the road.
BH USED to be our town too. Greed has killed this place.
We need a balance that’s all. Cruise ships are filthy and if they’re not at a dock they’re spewing filth into the air and water 24/7. That’s terrible for our area. The NP has rated Acadia the worst National Park for air quality.
I don't buy it and would love to see your source for that as a quick search doesn't back that comment up at all. You can't say our air is worse or even comparable to the consistent smog nearby all the CA national parks. Cruise ships and its passengers don't make up the problems you have with parking lots being full or any of the vehicle traffic. Seemingly they are a great visitor to the island as they come and go within 5-7 hours, spend money on tours, gifts, food and don't contribute to the issues you state are disrupting your life as a local. I can understand a stance against ships for environmental reasons, but if that was the local's fight why was the vote just for lower passenger disembarkment and not a total ban on cruise ships (even though that's essentially what a 1000 passenger cap will do). If our air is so awful, I wonder how much it'll improve once ships are gone yet the millions of cars still arrive.
greed? is it greed or popularity of Acadia National Park? it isn't the businesses that force people to come and crowd MDI. if you want to go for a hike somewhere with a small parking lot maybe consider using the free island explorer that will drop you off at the trailhead and pick you up.
If you live and work here your time is limited / unlike vacationers. We need to park do whatever and go home. Not stand at road side waiting for a bus which is often full.
Having lived 45 years we’ve seen the days where there was a fine balance between the tourist industry and the local lives.
Over tourism has changed the lives of locals and not in a good way.
my family has been here over 90 years. I get it, but I don't understand the Greed remark. the reason people are here are for Acadia, the uncomfortable congestion has come about over the last 10-15 years and in higher numbers the last 3-4 years post covid. if people who traveled here in the last 3 years didn't like the congestion word will travel and things will calm down naturally - it was already a bit quieter this summer overall. ie. not the everyday traffic jam at the head of the island we saw last summer. we can't help that we are home to one of the most popular national parks in the country. living here we just have to appreciate the fact we get that park nearly all to ourselves for 5 months of the year.
This is what happens when the commerce of a small town ends up in court. The justices are not from Bar Harbor as far as I know and they are sitting in Boston in the middle of winter. They have 30 minutes to hear each side's position as stated by their lawyers. Justice is Breyer had a distinguished career on the Supreme Court, but what does he know of Bar Harbor? The same could be asked about the other justices. Their decision will determine the fate of our town. It would have been better to allow the town council, who know our town and live here, and are accountable to the voters to negotiate with the cruise ships
Nothing is ever mentioned about the impact of the mass tourism on the rest of Mount Desert Island . This summer we had family visit. We wanted to take a hike. Picked 4 choices. ALL four parking lots full and cars among the road until cones marked gif end of parking. If any of us need or want to go to BH fur any reason, circle constantly finding a slot to park. Then pay $4,00 an hour. As a result we can’t gather with friends any longer.
Then there’s the traffic which is horrendous. It’s terrible- driving too fast on our narrow roads - no hard shoulders. Coming round corners on the wrong side of the road.
BH USED to be our town too. Greed has killed this place.
We need a balance that’s all. Cruise ships are filthy and if they’re not at a dock they’re spewing filth into the air and water 24/7. That’s terrible for our area. The NP has rated Acadia the worst National Park for air quality.
I don't buy it and would love to see your source for that as a quick search doesn't back that comment up at all. You can't say our air is worse or even comparable to the consistent smog nearby all the CA national parks. Cruise ships and its passengers don't make up the problems you have with parking lots being full or any of the vehicle traffic. Seemingly they are a great visitor to the island as they come and go within 5-7 hours, spend money on tours, gifts, food and don't contribute to the issues you state are disrupting your life as a local. I can understand a stance against ships for environmental reasons, but if that was the local's fight why was the vote just for lower passenger disembarkment and not a total ban on cruise ships (even though that's essentially what a 1000 passenger cap will do). If our air is so awful, I wonder how much it'll improve once ships are gone yet the millions of cars still arrive.
greed? is it greed or popularity of Acadia National Park? it isn't the businesses that force people to come and crowd MDI. if you want to go for a hike somewhere with a small parking lot maybe consider using the free island explorer that will drop you off at the trailhead and pick you up.
If you live and work here your time is limited / unlike vacationers. We need to park do whatever and go home. Not stand at road side waiting for a bus which is often full.
Having lived 45 years we’ve seen the days where there was a fine balance between the tourist industry and the local lives.
Over tourism has changed the lives of locals and not in a good way.
my family has been here over 90 years. I get it, but I don't understand the Greed remark. the reason people are here are for Acadia, the uncomfortable congestion has come about over the last 10-15 years and in higher numbers the last 3-4 years post covid. if people who traveled here in the last 3 years didn't like the congestion word will travel and things will calm down naturally - it was already a bit quieter this summer overall. ie. not the everyday traffic jam at the head of the island we saw last summer. we can't help that we are home to one of the most popular national parks in the country. living here we just have to appreciate the fact we get that park nearly all to ourselves for 5 months of the year.
This is what happens when the commerce of a small town ends up in court. The justices are not from Bar Harbor as far as I know and they are sitting in Boston in the middle of winter. They have 30 minutes to hear each side's position as stated by their lawyers. Justice is Breyer had a distinguished career on the Supreme Court, but what does he know of Bar Harbor? The same could be asked about the other justices. Their decision will determine the fate of our town. It would have been better to allow the town council, who know our town and live here, and are accountable to the voters to negotiate with the cruise ships