Acadia, MDI traffic congestion focus of Bar Harbor conference

BAR HARBOR – A conference on traffic congestion in Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island is scheduled to take place today and Friday at a Route 3 hotel.

The conference is meant to help inform some involved government agencies about the accomplishments of the Island Explorer bus service on MDI, according to Stephanie Clement of the nonprofit group Friends of Acadia.

The conference, which according to officials is invitation-only but is open to the news media, is to begin at 1 p.m. today at the Holiday Inn Regency on Route 3.

Among the officials expected to speak at the event are Acadia National Park Superintendent Sheridan Steele and Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Cole. Also officials from the Friends group, local transportation organizations and other park and state representatives will be on hand.

Clement said Wednesday that some agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, have never been formally briefed about the implementation of the bus service, which began in 1999.

The seasonal service, which uses propane-powered buses, started five years ago with eight vehicles and six routes. This year, the service, which charges no fee for its use, has 17 vehicles and eight routes, and this year is operating further into the fall season than it has previously.

Part of the conference agenda for today will be set aside to discuss possible future transportation alternatives, such as establishing a multimodal park-and-ride facility in Trenton, expanding the Island Explorer service, or connecting to other possible transportation alternatives such as a state-run bus service between Bangor and MDI, according to Clement.