MDI Tomorrow Transportation State of the Island report

Introduction

Transportation is a vital part of Mount Desert Island’s future. Whether commuting to work or school, running errands in town, or simply visiting the area, transportation plays a key role in the quality of life on this Island. Yet traffic congestion in the MDI region has continued to increase, and parking inside Acadia National Park and downtown areas has become difficult, prompting the need for additional work in this arena.

Transportation is tied closely to many aspects of our communities. How our communities are designed plays a key role in whether people can bicycle or walk to work or school safely. Dependence on the car can add to health problems associated with obesity and/or air pollution. The youth of Mount Desert Island must frequently tie their activities to their ability to “catch rides” with parents or friends, and seasonal and year-round employees of Mount Desert Island businesses increasingly live in off-island communities because of difficulties in finding housing. And, economic development is directly tied to transportation because adequate infrastructure is needed to move goods and services, and the majority of MDI’s economy is dependent on tourism dollars from off-island visitors.

Ten years ago, when the first MDI Tomorrow planning effort took place, citizens recognized the important role of transportation to the future of MDI. They expressed their preferred future in the following words:

· While roads would be maintained there would be no substantial widening of the road systems on the Island.

· There would be a major initiative to develop public and private transportation, such as shuttle buses and van-pools.

· Improvements to public transportation would improve the quality of life for elderly and other residents.

Source: MDI Tomorrow: A Look at the Future of Mount Desert Island. May 30, 1991

They also predicted a future based on the trends seen leading up to 1991:

· Maine Department of Transportation estimates that traffic may double on Route 3 between Ellsworth and Bar Harbor within 20 years.

· It could take close to an hour to travel from Bar Harbor to Ellsworth for nine months out of the year.

· Road design and heavy use by seasonal visitors, may reduce the average speed to 25 mph.

· Route 3 will be widened through residential and rural districts, increasing driving safety and average speed.

· Congestion may continue to plague Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor.

· Commuter traffic may increase between MDI and the mainland as the cost of housing causes more workers to live elsewhere, and as workers with higher incomes choose to live on MDI and commute to Ellsworth or Bangor.

· Acadia National Park may restrict automobile access on portions of the Park Loop Road, thereby increasing congestion on other roads which intersect Park land.

· Public transportation may increase little, either in moving them from place to place while they visit or work on the Island.

· Without expanded public transportation, increasing numbers of older people may lack access to essential goods, services, and social contact.

Source: MDI Tomorrow: A Look at the Future of Mount Desert Island. May 30, 1991.

Thankfully, Mount Desert Island residents converted some of these predicted trends to the preferred future through significant projects, such as the Island Explorer – the seasonal propane-powered bus system that connects Island communities and the park, and Island Connections, the non-profit organization providing transportation and other services to Island residents.

MDI Tomorrow in 2003:

Over the past year, several organizations and interested individuals have met together as the transportation subcommittee of MDI Tomorrow to review developments of the previous decade, discuss the transportation issues of today, and cooperatively develop an implementation plan for the next decade. The participants on this committee decided on the following vision for transportation on MDI:

We want year-round, robust public transportation that:

Meets the needs of targeted population groups (elderly, employees, schoolchildren)
Serves important destinations (village centers, grocery stores, schools, community centers – YMCA, Harbor House, Neighborhood House, etc.)
Is easily scalable as demand increases
Can sustain itself financially.

We want to maintain and/or expand intermodal opportunities (e.g. commercial air service, motor coaches, ferry service, on-island bus service) and we want people to be less dependent on oil and gas/personal automobiles.
We want MDI to be safe for bicyclists and pedestrians.
We want uncongested roadways.
We want a system of incentives for people to use public transportation options, and more education, publicity, and promotion of public transportation options.
We want declining numbers of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
We want transportation infrastructure that is well-maintained.
We want adequate parking, park and ride lots, and transportation alternatives for employees.
We want to explore the idea of some areas on MDI being off-limits to cars (i.e. Cadillac Mountain, downtown Bar Harbor).
We want adequate, affordable village housing for people to walk to services and employment.

Context of Transportation on MDI

The current profile of transportation on Mount Desert Island has not changed significantly since 1991 with the exception of traffic growth and expansion of alternative transportation options. Table 1. updates the characterization of the transportation system in 1991 to today.

Table 1. Profile of Transportation in 1991 vs. 2002.
Profile of Transportation in 1991¹	Profile of Transportation in 2002
MDI is served by State Routes 3, 102, 198, and 233.	Still true. Portions of Route 3 have been widened with shoulders added. Congestion has put pressure on secondary roads (e.g., Crooked Road and Rt. 230 in Trenton)
Individual towns maintain their own roads and harbors.	Still true.

Profile of Transportation in 1991¹, continued	Profile of Transportation in 2002, continued
Acadia National Park contains a major scenic loop road, gravel fire roads, and a carriage road system	Still true. The Park Loop Road and Route 3 through Bar Harbor have been designated as an All-American Road, the highest classification of scenic byway. The Park’s carriage road system has been restored, and the maintenance is permanently endowed thanks to a partnership between Friends of Acadia and the National Park Service. The Park’s motor road system and carriage roads have been named to the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
The Greyhound Company runs a daily bus into Bar Harbor in the summer months, but service is only available from Bangor the rest of the year.	Partially true. Vermont Transit (a Greyhound provider) still runs daily service to Bar Harbor in the summer and has just announced a trial continuation of the service from Columbus Day until the end of March. Concord Trailways ran a van connecting Bar Harbor with the Bangor airport, but discontinued the service after two summers.
Downeast Transportation, a regional bus company, provides limited public service, along with some van-pooling in cooperation with Jackson Laboratory and the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor and the Hinckley Company in Manset.	Partially true. Downeast Transportation still provides limited, year-round bus service in MDI communities, and assists with contract transportation services for the Jackson Laboratory and Downeast Horizons. Service to Hinckley, College of the Atlantic, and the University of Maine at Orono were tried/discontinued for a variety of reasons. A significant amount of Downeast Transportation’s time is now dedicated to the seasonal Island Explorer bus service.
A state ferry terminal provides service from Tremont to Swans Island	Still true.
Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor have island mail and ferry service to Sutton, Greening, and the Cranberry Islands.	Still true.
Bar Harbor has a Canadian National Ferry Terminal with service to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.	Partially true. The ferry service is now provided by Bay Ferries on a high-speed catamaran. The service runs frequently in the summer and fall (1-2 times/day), but is not run in winter.
An airport in neighboring Trenton has deregulated service to Bangor, Boston and elsewhere.	Partially true. USAIRWAYS carries passengers from the Bar Harbor/Hancock County airport to Boston and Rockland on several trips daily.
Bangor, about fifty miles north of Mt. Desert Island, has major air carrier service to Boston and other U.S. and international destinations.	Still true.
	The Island Explorer is a seasonal, propane-powered bus system carrying passengers between Island communities and to the Park.
	Island Connections is a non-profit organization that provides transportation and other services to elderly MDI residents.
	A seasonal ferry service operated by Downeast Windjammer Cruises has been established between Schoodic and Bar Harbor.
	Friends of Acadia has built two village connector trails, connecting Island villages to Acadia.
	Acadia’s trail system has been named the State’s Millennium Legacy Trail.

Profile of Transportation in 1991¹, continued	Profile of Transportation in 2002, continued
	MDI has two stoplights, one at the Head of the Island and one in Somesville.
	Housing costs on MDI have risen and the workforce on the Island has expanded, creating new pressures as employees travel greater lengths to commute.
	There are two local private tour bus operators on MDI, which offer guided tours of the Park May – October and are available for charters.
	Trenton added a business park near the head of the Island, which has attracted at least one portion of an MDI business across the bridge.
	There is no “late bus(es)” for students involved in after-school activities.

¹Profile as described in MDI Tomorrow: A Look at the Future of Mount Desert Island. May 30, 1991.

Traffic congestion and parking issues continue to plague Mount Desert Island communities. Average Annual Daily Traffic at the Trenton Bridge (the number of cars per day traveling both directions across the Trenton Bridge), has increased by approximately 2.73% every year (see Table 2) and approximately 17% since 1996. Anecdotal reports from the Maine Department of Transportation indicate that approximately 80% of the vehicles crossing the Trenton Bridge are single-person vehicles. Anecdotal reports also indicate that during the morning peak of traffic (6:15 A.M. – 8:00 A.M.), 70% of the traffic going over the Trenton Bridge is entering Mt. Desert Island, whereas during the evening peak (3:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.), 75% of the traffic is leaving Mt. Desert Island.

Table 2. Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) at the Trenton Bridge (1996-2000)
Year	AADT	Maximum Daily Traffic Count	Minimum Daily Traffic Count	% Increase in AADT Over Previous Year	% Increase in AADT Over 1996
1996	12,139			Unknown	-----
1997	12,324			1.52	1.52
1998	12,952			5.10	6.70
1999	13,396			3.43	11.04
2000	13,437	23,625	2,617	0.31	11.07
2001	14,335	24,807	3,940	6.68	18.09
2002	14,240	25,377	3,787	-0.66	17.31

Source: Maine Department of Transportation Website: www.state.me.us/mdot/traffic and Smith, 2002.

In a recent National Park Service visitor study (Littlejohn, 1999), 76% of Acadia visitors surveyed said they encountered traffic problems in the Park. Seventy percent reported that they had encountered traffic problems on MDI, primarily in Bar Harbor. Survey respondents listed crowding and traffic as the top ways that visitors and/or activities interfered with their visit to Acadia.

According to Littlejohn (1999), 96% of visitors surveyed came to the Park using their cars or pick-up truck. Subsequent surveys of Island Explorer passengers (Crikelair, 1999, 2000, 2001) showed a higher percentage (18-25%) of people arriving on Mt. Desert Island without personal vehicles. As visitors without personal automobiles would likely use the Island Explorer as a prime way to tour the Park, surveys conducted on the buses might reflect a higher concentration of visitors without automobiles than a broadly-distributed visitor intercept survey would.

In 2002, automatic traffic counters were installed at ___ entrances to Acadia National Park as part of a field test of transportation technologies in national parks. These counters will assist the Park in better understanding the number of cars using the park and traffic patterns. Several of these counters are also equipped to detect classes of vehicle size. These counters may once again impact how visitation is calculated at Acadia.

Visitation at Acadia National Park has actually decreased by approximately 5% percent since 1996 (see Table 3). Therefore, the increases in traffic may not be entirely tourism traffic, but rather commuter traffic, business traffic, etc.

Table 3. Total Visits per year to Acadia National Park.
Year	Total Visits¹	Percent Increase Over Previous Year	Percent Increase Over 1996
1996	2,957,407		----
1997	3,012,882	1.88	1.88
1998	2,847,073	-3.73	-3.73
1999	2,854,803	0.27	-3.47
2000	2,721,814	-4.66	-7.97
2001	2,769,127	1.74	-6.37
2002	2,811,148	1.52	-4.95

¹ Cars are counted automatically beyond the Sand Beach Entrance Station. Visitation is then calculated based on a formula established in 1990. Total visits include both recreational and non-recreational visits (i.e., those who are traveling in the Park for official purposes).

Source: National Park Service visitor statistics website, www2.nature.nps.gov/stats

Crikelair (2001b) analyzed commuting patterns based on employee residential zip codes for several of the major employers on Mount Desert Island (see Table 4). He found significant travel patterns across the Trenton Bridge and to a lesser extent across Mt. Desert Island and from farther Downeast. He estimates that more than 550 Jackson Labs employees alone travel each day across the Trenton Bridge and that 1,100 Lab employees travel through downtown Bar Harbor each day. These results will significantly shape future routes of the year round transit study.

Table 4. Number of Resident Employees per Town for MDI Major Employers
Town	Jackson Labs	Acadia National Park ¹	College of the Atlantic faculty and staff	College of the Atlantic students	Hinckley employees at Trenton Facility	Hinckley employees at Manset facility
Bar Harbor	333	31	50	182 ²	12	20
Southwest Harbor/Tremont /Somesville	186	27	13	7	31	93
Northeast Harbor/ Seal Harbor/ Otter Creek	47	1	2	5	10	3
Ellsworth ³	294	10	5	4	68	36
Bangor area	41	2	1	0	28	7 ⁴
Table 4., continued. Number of Resident Employees per Town for MDI Major Employers
Town	Jackson Labs	Acadia National Park ¹	College of the Atlantic faculty and staff	College of the Atlantic students	Hinckley employees at Trenton Facility	Hinckley employees at Manset facility
Towns East of Ellsworth	181	9	2	1	54	36
Towns West and Southwest of Ellsworth	48	4	3	1	22	14
TOTAL	1130	84	80	205	225	209

¹ Permanent year-round employees only.

² 181 of these students live in on-campus housing.

³Includes Ellsworth, Trenton, Lamoine, Otis, Mariaville, Waltham, and Amherst.

⁴ Listed as towns “north of Ellsworth” in the report.

Source: Crikelair, 2001b

Data on Accidents

With traffic increasing at the rate of 2.73% every year, safety and accidents are of great concern, especially where young people are concerned. From the period of 1997 – 2001, there were 2026 accidents on Mount Desert Island and in Trenton and Lamoine (see Table 5.). The majority of these accidents were not caused by impaired drivers (see Table 6.), but were rather the result of speeding, driver inattention, or no improper action (e.g. accident with a deer, object in the road, etc. -- see Table 7.). The largest percentage of accidents were rear-ending or sideswiping, followed by running off the road, and collisions with deer (see Table 8.).

Table 5. Total Traffic Accidents by Town (1997-2001)
Town Name	Number of Accidents
Bar Harbor	941
Mt. Desert	354
Trenton	304
Southwest Harbor	197
Lamoine	137
Tremont	93
Grand Total	2026

Source: Jim Fisher, 10/21/02.

Table 6. Driver’s physical condition as recorded at accident scene on Mt. Desert Island and in Trenton and Lamoine (1997-2001)
Driver’s Physical Condition	Number of Occurrences
Normal	1824
Under influence	71
Was drinking	41
Asleep	23
Other	22
No driver; pedestrian or bicyclist	14
Table 6., continued. Driver’s physical condition as recorded at accident scene on Mt. Desert Island and in Trenton and Lamoine (1997-2001)
Driver’s Physical Condition	Number of Occurrences
Fatigued	11
Unknown	10
Ill	7
Handicapped	2
Was using drugs	1
Grand Total	2026

Source: Jim Fisher, 10/21/02.

Table 7. Apparent cause of accidents on Mt. Desert Island and in Trenton and Lamoine (1997-2001)
Apparent cause of the accident	Number of Occurrences
No improper action	982
Driver inattention-distraction	382
Illegal; unsafe speed	183
Driver inexperience	75
Failure to yield right of way	64
Other human violation factor	54
Physical impairment	47
Unsafe backing	42
Following too close	34
Other vision obscurement	22
Unknown	22
Driving left of center – not passing	21
Improper parking; start; stop	17
Improper passing – overtaking	14
Improper turn	14
Vision obscured – sun; headlights	8
None	8
Other vehicle defect or factor	7
Disregard of a traffic control device	5
Defective brakes	4
No signal or improper signal	4
Defective steering	3
Defective tire – tire failure	3
Impeding traffic	3
Improper; unsafe lane change	2
Pedestrian violation error	2
Vision obscured – windshield glass	2
Defective suspension	1
Hit and run	1
Grand Total	2026

Source: Jim Fisher, 10/21/02.

Table 8. Number of Accidents by Type on Mt. Desert Island and in Trenton and Lamoine (1997-2001)
Crash Type	Number of Accidents
Rear-end/sideswipe	608
Ran off road	573
Deer	309
Intersection Movement	289
Head-on/sideswipe	112
Object in road	40
Other	31
Rollover	17
Bike	16
Pedestrians	9
Moose	7
Fire	7
All other animals	6
Rock thrown	2
Grand Total	2026

Source: Jim Fisher, 10/21/02.

Perhaps what is of greatest concern related to accidents, however, is that the largest percentage of accidents occur with young drivers (see Figure 1.). As age increases, the accident rate among drivers decreases. In the state of Maine, 55 people between the ages of 16-24 died in traffic accidents in 2002 (Bowley, 2002). While drivers of this age range are only 12.5% of all Maine drivers, they account for almost a third of traffic accidents with fatalities (Bowley, 2002). Fifty-six percent of accidents on MDI and in Trenton and Lamoine from 1997-2001 involved male drivers, and 39% involved female drivers. The drivers’ sex in the remaining accidents was not noted (Jim Fisher, 10/21/02).

Figure 1. MDI Traffic Accidents by Driver’s Age

Source: Jim Fisher, 10/21/02

There have been 11 deaths on MDI and in Trenton and Lamoine from 1997 – 2001 due to car accidents. Fifty-eight incapacitating injuries have occurred, while 390 evident injuries and 345 possible injuries were reported as a result of automobile accidents in the same time frame (Jim Fisher, 10/21/02).

Data on School transportation

The prevalence of traffic accidents on MDI, particularly among young drivers, is increasingly becoming a concern. Many high school students drive themselves to school because the alternative is a long bus ride (see Table 9.) which frequently gets students to school long before classes begin (especially for subscription students from Trenton and Lamoine). There is presently no “late bus” giving students an opportunity to participate in afterschool activities without personal vehicles or rides. Also, many areas on MDI do not have safe bicycle lanes, crosswalks, and sidewalks, which discourages students from riding or walking to school.

Table 9. Information on school transportation.
	Bar Harbor Conners-Emerson	Mt. Desert Elementary	Southwest Harbor Pemetic School	Tremont School	MDI High School
Longest Bus Ride	40 minutes	45 minutes	40 minutes	35 minutes	20 minutes from BH 45 minutes from MD 30 minutes from SWH 35 minutes from Tremont
Number of school buses		4 (no spares)	2 (1 additional spare)	3 (1 additional for sports)
Can students bike/walk to school	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, with parents permission	Yes
Number of schoolchildren served by buses		186 (some walk)	All allowed on buses	164
Number of students driving to school	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	60%

Source: Buell, Susan, 2002.

In October, 2002 a community forum was held to discuss transportation safety issues, particularly related to MDI High School. Meanwhile, MDI High School, Jackson Labs, Acadia National Park, MDI Hospital, College of the Atlantic, Friends of Acadia, and others have been working with Tom Crikelair on a plan to implement additional year-round public transportation services, possibly including a “late bus” from the high school (see description of MDI Year-Round Transit Study below).

Alternative Transportation to MDI:

While the private automobile still reigns on Mount Desert Island, interest in alternative transportation options is high, particularly given the success of the Island Explorer, the seasonal propane-powered bus system serving Acadia National Park and MDI communities. While 96% of visitors in 1998 (Littlejohn, 1999) arrived at the Park via private vehicles, many used other transportation options, listed below:

Loadings at Hancock County Airport:

The Bar Harbor/Hancock County airport is a county-run airport that was established to service seaplanes in World War 2. The airport currently has 415 acres and still has a ramp usable by seaplanes. Passenger embarkations and debarkations on regularly-scheduled commercial flights have increased on average just over 11% every year (see Table 10.). Passenger totals in 2002 were up 171% over 1992 figures. The year 2000 recorded the airport’s greatest usage, with passenger numbers decreasing slightly thereafter because of the September 11^th tragedy. According to Bob Cossette, Airport Manager, 40,000 - 50,000 passengers arrive and depart each year on private aircraft from the Hancock County Airport. During the summer, the airport is served by the Island Explorer bus service, and taxis and a car-rental operation provide service to passengers year-round.

Table 10. Passenger Arrivals and Departures on Scheduled Airline Service to the Bar Harbor/Hancock County Airport
Year	Passengers Arriving and Departing on Scheduled Airline Service to Trenton	Percent Increase Over Previous Year	Percent Increase Over 1992
1992	8,838	----	----
1993	9,779	10.65	10.65
1994	10,336	5.70	16.95
1995	13,040	26.16	47.54
1996	15,009	15.10	69.82
1997	16,388	9.19	85.43
1998	18,986	15.85	114.82
1999	20,661	8.82	133.77
2000	27,805	34.58	214.61
2001	23,419	-15.77	164.98
2002	23,977	2.38	171.29

Source: Cossette, 2002 and 2003.

The CAT

The CAT is a high-speed passenger/car ferry operated by Bay Ferries between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. It runs approximately 150 days a year, and on half of those days, it runs two round-trips. According to Annette Higgins of Bay Ferries, traffic in 2002 was up around 25% over the previous year (evenly divided among increased boardings in Bar Harbor and Yarmouth), and ridership is projected to continue to be strong in future years.

Other ferries

The Maine Department of Transportation operates a year-round ferry service from Bass Harbor to Swan’s Island and Frenchboro. This ferry primarily serves local residents and businesses, but does receive tourism traffic in the summer/fall months. On average, the number of vehicles transported by the ferry has increased by 2.1% every year since FY 1997, while the number of passengers has increased by 2.8% and the number of bicycles has increased by 1.1% (see Table 11.). There is no discernable pattern of ridership (e.g. an increase in the number of passengers on the ferry does not automatically mean an increase in the number of cars or bicycles on the ferry).

Table 11. Ridership on the Swans Island Ferry
Fiscal Year¹	Total Vehicles	Inc./Decrease over Previous FY	Total Passengers	Inc./Decrease over Prev. FY	Total Bicycles	Inc./Decrease over Prev. FY
1997	31,502	----	76,393	----	2,036	----
1998	29,556	-6.2%	70,988	-7.1%	1,507	-26.0%
1999	33,479	13.3%	78,783	11.0%	2,031	34.8%
2000	33,249	-0.1%	81,573	3.5%	1,994	-1.8%
2001	32,792	-1.4%	81,717	0.2%	1,936	-2.9%
2002	34,347	4.7%	86,805	6.2%	1,961	1.3%

¹ The Maine Department of Transportation’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30th. For example, Fiscal Year 1997 represents the dates July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1997.

Source: Hodson, 2002.

Beal and Bunker Mail Boat and Ferry Service provides year-round passenger transportation and mail service to the Cranberry Isles from Northeast Harbor. Several water taxis and Cranberry Cove Boating provide seasonal service to the islands from MDI.

Intercity motor coaches

Vermont Transit provides seasonal motor coach to Bar Harbor, connecting in Bangor to points south. The company has recently extended its Bar Harbor service, which formerly concluded after Columbus Day, on a trial run through March, 2003.

Alternative Transportation While on MDI:

Once a person has arrived on MDI, he/she increasingly has options to travel around MDI without the use of one’s car. Chief among these is the Island Explorer bus service.

Island Explorer

The Island Explorer is a fleet of 17 propane-powered shuttle buses operating on seven routes through MDI communities and Acadia National Park. The bus system began in 1999 as a partnership between Acadia National Park, the Maine Department of Transportation, Friends of Acadia, the Mount Desert Island League of Towns, and island businesses. The bus system was designed to carry passengers from their hotels and campgrounds, where there are secure all-day parking spaces, into village centers and Acadia National Park where traffic congestion and parking availability can be issues.

Ridership on the fare-box free shuttle bus system has expanded 107% over the first year’s operating figures (see Table 12.). Concurrently, the buses have reduced air pollution by thousands of tons, and have eliminated a large number of automobile visits. The Maine Department of Transportation, Acadia National Park, and Downeast Transportation are currently working on acquiring 4-8 new buses for the system, and thanks to a $1 million donation to Friends of Acadia from L.L. Bean for the project, service will most likely be extended until Columbus Day beginning in the fall of 2003.

Table 12. Island Explorer Ridership and Pollution Reduction Statistics 1999 - 2002
Year	Days of Operation	Total Ridership	Average Daily Ridership	Increase from Initial Year	Automobile Visits Eliminated¹	Pollutants Reduced²
1999	76	142,260	1872	--	54,715	4.0 tons
2000	74	193,057	2,609	39%	77,223	5.5 tons
2001	73	239,971	3,287	75%	79,990	6.8 tons
2002	72	281,142³	3,904	107%	104,127	8.1 tons

¹ Total ridership divided by the average group size riding the Island Explorer for that year, as recorded by Tom Crikelair’s annual ridership survey.

² Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide were not included in this figure. Data source: Perez, 2002

³ The methods for calculating ridership switched in 2002 from a paper format to an automated passenger counting system associated with a field experiment of transportation technologies in the Park.

Downeast Transportation ridership

Downeast Transportation provides year-round bus service to communities on MDI and to Ellsworth and Bangor (see schedule in Table 13). Fares for the service range from $1.00 (one-way ride within a town) to $9.00 (round-trip to Bangor). The company also provides subscription services to the Jackson Laboratories and to the MDI Workshop. Island Connections provides free, pre-arranged rides for elderly residents on MDI.

Table 13. Year-round scheduled services provided by Downeast Transportation.
Mondays	Bar Harbor to Somesville, Southwest, Bass Harbor, Town Hill, Trenton, to Ellsworth and return
Mondays	Bar Harbor to Ellsworth and Bangor and return
Tuesdays	Bar Harbor to Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and return
Tuesdays	In-Town Bar Harbor circulator bus
Wednesdays	Bar Harbor to Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Town Hill, Trenton, Ellsworth, and return
Thursdays	Bar Harbor to Hulls Cove, Salisbury Cove, Town Hill, Somesville, Southwest Harbor, Manset, Bass Harbor, and return (2 trips, but not all towns served every trip)
Thursdays	In-Town Bar Harbor circulator bus
Fridays	Bar Harbor to Hulls Cove, Salisbury Cove, Trenton, Ellsworth, and return

Source: Downeast Transportation Bus Schedule, 2000.

Despite the range of transportation options provided by Downeast Transportation, not many MDI residents take advantage of them. Ridership on the company’s year-round, regularly scheduled transportation services has decreased at an average rate of 2.2% every year from 1996-2001 (see Table 14.). Factoring in subscription services, total ridership has decreased on average by 4.6% since 1996. Tom Crikelair is presently working with a local advisory group to plan and fund more year-round public transportation options.

Table 14. Ridership on Downeast Transportation’s Year-Round and Subscription Services
Year	Ridership on year-round, regularly-scheduled trips	% Increase or Decrease over Previous Year	Ridership on year-round, subscription services¹	% Increase or Decrease over Previous Year	Total Ridership²	% Increase or Decrease over Previous Year
1996	11,050	---	25,034	---	36,084	---
1997	9,532	-13.7%	24,317	-2.9%	33,849	-6.2%
1998	8,970	-5.9%	22,840	-6.1%	31,810	-6.0%
1999	9,376	4.5%	24,212	6.0%	33,588	5.6%
2000	8,971	-4.3%	22,682	-6.3%	31,653	-5.8%
2001	9,739	8.6%	18,578	-18.1%	28,317	-10.5%

¹ Subscription services include commuter services to the Jackson Laboratories and arrangements with Downeast Horizons/MDI Workshop.

² Total ridership figures do not include ridership statistics for the campground bus, which provided seasonal service from the Rt. 3 private campgrounds and Blackwoods campground into Bar Harbor and to Sand Beach from 1996-1998. This service was replaced in 1999 with the Island Explorer.

Source: Murphy, Paul, 2002.

Private Bus Companies:

There are presently two bus companies on Mt. Desert Island that offer guided tours of Acadia National Park from Bar Harbor. Both charge a fee, and provide access to many of the Park’s most desirable destinations.

Bicycling:

We know from the Littlejohn (1999) study that approximately 30% of Acadia visitors bicycle on the carriage roads, and 12% indicated that they bike on the park’s motor road system. Bicycle parking facilities are provided on MDI in the following locations (Phemister and Clement, 2002):

The MDI Bicycle Plan (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2002) provides a comprehensive list of MDI locations where bicycle parking facilities are recommended. It also notes the numbers of rack spaces recommended for each site.

Funding for Public Transportation on MDI

At the same time that interest in public transportation on MDI has increased, funding for the year-round transportation services provided by Downeast Transportation has also increased at the federal level by 43% since FY 1996/1997 (July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1997, See Table 15). Federal transportation funds are directed to rural transit providers, such as Downeast Transportation, through the Maine Department of Transportation according to previously established formulas. Downeast Transportation must provide a 20% local match to all funding that comes through Maine DOT.

State contributions are approved by the Maine Legislature every other year and have increased at a much slower rate (12%) since Fiscal Year (FY) 1996/1997 (July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1997). According to Maine law, statewide gasoline tax revenues cannot be used for anything other than road improvements. However, the Maine Legislature recently voted to allow towns to apply for a reduction in their local match required for road improvements if the town increased its financial contributions to existing public transportation services by the same amount. This provides an incentive for local towns to contribute to their public transportation services.

Local town contributions to Downeast Transportation must be voted on each year at town meetings, and have actually decreased by 15% since FY 1996/1997, primarily due to Ellsworth reducing its local contribution. Fare revenues have also decreased by 26%, while revenues from advertising and contract services have remained relatively the same.

It is important to note, however, that with the advent of the Island Explorer bus service, Acadia National Park, the Maine Department of Transportation (using federal dollars), local towns, Friends of Acadia, and many local businesses have significantly increased their contributions to public transportation services, specifically for the operation of the seasonal Island Explorer bus service.

There are a number of studies and planning efforts going on in the Mt. Desert Island that will affect transportation over the next ten years. The following are brief descriptions of some of these studies.

Bangor/Trenton Corridor Study

In 2000, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) embarked upon a study of the transportation corridor between Bangor and Trenton. Because of the large number of vehicles that travel this corridor, MDOT desired to find alternatives to traveling in personal vehicles. Phase 1 of the study was completed in 2001 and estimated that by the year 2020, 1,110 – 1,610 passengers might ride alternative transportation systems through this corridor per year en-route to Acadia National Park (Maine Department of Transportation, October 2001). The second phase of this study will look at the feasibility of a variety of transportation options through this corridor, including possible train service, bus service along the road or a dedicated bus-way, and ferry service from the Brewer waterfront to Mount Desert Island. As of spring 2002, two options – ferry and commuter rail – had been eliminated from consideration because of neighborhood impacts, practicality, cost, and environmental impacts. The options still being considered include buses on the main roads, buses on dedicated bus-ways, bus rapid transit vehicles, and light rail.

MDI Year-Round Transportation Study

Tom Crikelair Associates (Crikelair, 2001b) is developing a year-round transit plan for Mount Desert Island for Downeast Transportation, funded primarily through the Maine Department of Transportation. Many local organizations, including Jackson Labs, College of the Atlantic (COA), MDI Hospital, Acadia National Park, the MDI school district, the MDI League of Towns, Friends of Acadia, and Harbor House participated on the local advisory panel for the project. The study examines existing transportation services, describes transportation needs, presents design concepts for expanded year-round service, and projects capital and operating revenues and costs. Potential new services studied include a Bar Harbor shuttle running between COA and Jackson Labs, a cross-island commuter service, subscription services from Milbridge and Bangor to Jackson Labs, commuter buses from Trenton to Bar Harbor, several mid-day island bus trips, cross-island Saturday service, and intercity/commuter service to Bangor and Boston.

MDI Bicycle Plan

In 2002, Wilbur Smith Associates, under contract to the Maine Department of Transportation, completed the MDI Bicycle Plan, a plan to guide public investments on MDI to improve bicycle facilities on the island. The plan categorizes roadways according to bicycle suitability and prioritizes shoulder improvements to improve cycling conditions on the Island. The plan also recommends other steps, such as improving signage and providing more bicycle parking facilities, that Island communities could take to encourage bicycling.

Phase 3/MDOT transportation hub

The Island Explorer bus system is presently designed to pick up and drop off residents or visitors at their lodging establishments on Mount Desert Island. The third phase of expanding the bus system calls for development of a visitor center on MDI or near the head of the Island to provide parking and orientation for day use visitors and overnight guests at off-island lodging facilities. Such a facility could also serve commuters, and could potentially include a bus maintenance facility/garage.

Concurrently, Acadia National Park is exploring options for new visitor center to replace some of the functions of the current Hulls Cove Visitor Center. The Maine Department of Transportation has also expressed interest in developing an intermodal transportation hub in Trenton to provide connections among the Island Explorer, air service to Trenton, private automobiles, intercity motor coaches, and potentially rail service from Bangor. In October of 2002, Acadia National Park convened a planning charrette to begin selection and site design of potential locations for the proposed transit hub/visitor center.

Meanwhile, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Town of Trenton are working together to develop a concept for a “village center” in Trenton. Developing such a center away from the Rt.3 corridor could improve safety, travel efficiency, and overall village atmosphere. The village center concept might potentially be linked with the proposed transit hub/visitor center to improve the “gateway” experience to Acadia while providing local residents with necessary and accessible services.

MDOT Strategic Passenger Transportation Plan (Explore Maine)

The Maine Department of Transportation (2002) has published a plan to encourage people coming to Maine to travel without use of their personal vehicles. The plan lays out an interconnected network of transportation options to emphasize ways to travel to and around the state by train, plane, bus, ferry, or bicycle/foot. This plan has guided the Department’s public transportation investments over the past five years and has resulted in significant transportation improvements on MDI, such as rehabilitation of the Bar Harbor Village Green to serve as transit hub for the Island Explorer. Many of the Department’s investments are capital projects, such as repair of train tracks or rehabilitation of ferry terminals, which rely on private/semi-private transit operators to provide the desired service.

The Bar Harbor Parking Review Committee (1999) drafted a series of recommendations to the Bar Harbor Town Council regarding ways to address parking issues in downtown Bar Harbor. These recommendations include the following:

· Educate employers, employees, residents, and visitors about Bar Harbor’s parking regulations.

· Promote alternative transportation options, such as carpooling, bicycling, or walking.

· Convert parking waivers to parking waiver exchanges. This would generate revenue for some of the alternative proposals, including public transportation.

· Encourage employees to use alternative modes of transportation and park outside downtown to free up spaces for customers/visitors and residents. As part of this, the Committee recommends establishing a new parking area near downtown to serve employees and long-term day use parking.

The recommendations were adopted by the Bar Harbor Town Council in January 2003, and an implementation task force has been formed.

HCPC Park and Ride Study

The Hancock County Planning Commission published a park and ride study (Fisher, 2001) that identified suitable locations in the greater Mount Desert Island region. Planning Commission staff considered location, likely patterns of use, owner willingness, cost of improvement, etc. in their analyses. The sites deemed most suitable were studied further for their strengths/weaknesses, and a list of recommended improvements was made. Along with a potential off-island visitor center/transportation hub, these sites could help facilitate ridesharing.

Acadia All-American Road Corridor Management Plan:

In 2000, Acadia’s Park Loop Road and the Rt. 3 corridor from the head of the Island through downtown Bar Harbor to Sieur de Monts Springs were named an All-American Road, the highest national designation of scenic byway. A Corridor Management Committee led by the Town Planner for Bar Harbor has been established, and an initial planning grant has been received. The Corridor Management Plan (Hancock County Planning Commission, 2000) recommends a number of strategies to protect and enhance the resources of the byway, ensure health and safety of travelers, promote community support for the byway, promote education about resource protection, and encourage sustainable economic development and tourism management. If federal funding is available, the scenic byways program accepts applications once a year for federal grants to implement byway plans.

The issues surrounding transportation are varied, complex, and interconnected with the other land use, community design, and community health issues.

When asked about the largest transportation issues on Mount Desert Island, the MDI Tomorrow Transportation Committee suggested the following (generalized from a more specific list):

The MDI Tomorrow Transportation Committee suggested the following projects to address transportation issues in the Mount Desert Island region:

+ start local a local car-pool and van-pool connection service -- maybe through Downeast Transportation

+ for Acadia -- how many people are too many when looking at hiker, biker, equestrian impacts on the resources

+ for towns -- what is the carrying capacity according to parking; should development be tied to automobile parking

At the April 2003 MDI Tomorrow conference, a citizen group began meeting to find ways to make MDI more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Concurrently, efforts are ongoing to establish year-round bus service, provide more commuter options to MDI, address parking issues, and study visitor capacities at Acadia. Through all of these projects, the MDI region is moving toward a more sustainable transportation future.

Bar Harbor Parking Review Committee. 1999. Strategies document, May 25, 1999. Bar Harbor, ME: Bar Harbor Planning Department. 9 pp.

Bowley, Diana. 2002. “Car-crash deaths of young people concern officials”. Bangor Daily News. p. C2, Col. 1. Volume 114, No. 179. Saturday/Sunday, January 11-12, 2002.

Buell, Susan. 2002. Phone conversations with MDI schools, September/October 2002.

Crikelair, Tom. 1999. Island Explorer Onboard Survey Results. Memorandum. Bar Harbor, ME: Tom Crikelair Associates. 25 pp.

Crikelair, Tom. 2000. Island Explorer Onboard Survey 2000. Memorandum. Bar Harbor, ME: Tom Crikelair Associates. 24 pp.

Crikelair, Tom. 2001. Island Explorer Onboard Survey 2001. Memorandum. Bar Harbor, ME: Tom Crikelair Associates. 25 pp.

Crikelair, Tom. 2001b. Year-round Transit Plan. Unpublished. Bar Harbor, ME: Tom Crikelair Associates.

Cossette, Bob. 2002. Airport Manager, Bar Harbor/Hancock County Airport, personal communication. 667-7329.

Cossette, Bob. 2003. Airport Manager, Bar Harbor/Hancock County Airport, personal communication. 667-7329.

Downeast Transportation. 2000. Downeast Transportation Bus Schedule. Effective October 1, 2000. Ellsworth: Downeast Transportation.

Fisher, Jim. 2001. Mount Desert Island Park and Ride Study. Revised: 06/26/01. Ellsworth, ME: Hancock County Planning Commission. 38 pp.

Fisher, Jim. 10/21/02. Transportation Planner, Hancock County Planning Commission, personal communication via e-mail, jfisher@hcpcme.org.

Hancock County Planning Commission. 2000. Acadia Byway Corridor Management Plan. Revised: April 12, 2000. Ellsworth, ME: Hancock County Planning Commission. 67pp.

Hodson, Bruce. 2002. Maine State Ferry Service, December 10^th, 2002. Personal Communication, Reached through Butch Sawtelle, Maine State Ferry Service Manager, (207) 596-2243.

Littlejohn, Margaret. 1999. Acadia National Park Visitor Study. Summer 1998. Report 108, Visitor Services Project. University of Idaho: Cooperative Park Studies Unit. 108 pp.

Maine Department of Transportation. October 2001. Bangor –Trenton Transportation Alternatives Study, Phase 1. Executive Summary. Augusta, ME: Maine Department of Transportation.

Maine Department of Transportation. 2002. Maine Strategic Passenger Transportation Plan: Explore Maine. Maine DOT website: www.state.me.us/mdot/opt/sptp.htm

MDI Tomorrow: A Look at the Future of Mount Desert Island. May 30, 1991. Special Supplement to the Bar Harbor Times, p. 11.

Murphy, Paul. 2002. Operations Manager, Downeast Transportation, personal communication via e-mail, paul@exploreacadia.com.

Murphy, Paul. 2002b. Operations Manager, Downeast Transportation, personal communication via e-mail, paul@exploreacadia.com.

National Park Service visitor statistics website, 2002. www2.nature.nps.gov/stats

Perez, Tracy. 2002. Office of Passenger Transportation, Maine Department of Transportation, personal communication via e-mail, tracy.perez@state.me.us.

Smith, Victor. 2003. Traffic Engineer, Ellsworth Division Office, Maine Department of Transportation, personal communication. 667-5556

Wilbur Smith Associates. 2002. MDI Bikeway Plan. Final Report. Portland, ME: Wilbur Smith Associates in association with Coplon Associates. 24 pp. plus 2 appendices.

Table 15. Funding for Downeast Transportation’s Year-Round Transit Services in Hancock County.
Fiscal Year	Federal Funds	State Funds	Local Town Funds	Contracts	Fares	Bus Advertising
1996/1997	$46,222	$13,813	$11,627	$32,000	$40,384	$6,550
1997/1998	$53,356	$13,813	$11,121	$32,000	$38,048	$6,375
1998/1999	$57,324	$14,188	$10,669	$33,000	$34,177	$5,700
1999/2000	$58,930	$13,813	$9,919	$34,575	$32,332	$6,060
2000/2001	$63,078	$15,463	$9,919	$33,125	$30,173	$6,600
2001/2002	$66,172	$15,449	$9,919	$33,458	$29,912	$6,450

Context of Transportation on MDI

Data on Accidents

Number of Accidents

Number of Occurrences

Number of Occurrences

11

Number of Occurrences

Figure 1. MDI Traffic Accidents by Driver’s Age

The CAT

Other ferries

Table 11. Ridership on the Swans Island Ferry

Intercity motor coaches

Island Explorer

Table 12. Island Explorer Ridership and Pollution Reduction Statistics 1999 - 2002

Downeast Transportation ridership

Table 14. Ridership on Downeast Transportation’s Year-Round and Subscription Services

Bicycling:

Funding for Public Transportation on MDI

There are a number of studies and planning efforts going on in the Mt. Desert Island that will affect transportation over the next ten years. The following are brief descriptions of some of these studies.

Bangor/Trenton Corridor Study

MDI Year-Round Transportation Study

MDI Bicycle Plan

Phase 3/MDOT transportation hub

MDOT Strategic Passenger Transportation Plan (Explore Maine)

HCPC Park and Ride Study

Acadia All-American Road Corridor Management Plan: