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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 1 5 park has received. e chambers and the state have been out there promoting the park, too." With visits on the rise, Kelly and Acadia officials are drafting a transportation plan to alleviate traffic problems. A plan, which is expected to take three years to be completed, is aimed at creating a safe and efficient transportation system throughout the park. Traffic is not a new issue. Concerns were raised in the park's 1992 general management plan. From that emerged a public-private partnership that created the Island Explorer, a fare-free, seasonal bus system that runs through Acadia and surrounding communities as a means to relieve traffic congestion and air pollution. e system was immediately popular. Carrying almost 5.5 million passengers to date, it's estimated the system has eliminated more than 2 million private vehicle trips. But increased visitation has posed strains, as seen in 2014. "It was a tipping year, when we broke a lot of our numbers," Kelly says. "In previous years, the high-ridership days were in the 8,000s, and those only happened in the first two weeks of August. Suddenly, we had two 9,000-plus riders per day in August and an 8,000-plus day in July." Downeast Transportation Inc., which has the contract to run Island Explorer, this year reconfig- ured schedules to ensure following buses quickly pick up overflow passengers. Traffic concerns Despite its popularity, the Island Explorer only nicked the transportation dilemma. Certain portions of Acadia are overwhelmed by vehicle traffic and crowds, causing safety and resource-protection concerns. A survey in August 2014, conducted over a week, found that 22 of 24 designated parking areas at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center and along the Park Loop Road reached capacity, some for as much as six hours a day. During peak hours, as many as 500 cars are parked informally along roadsides, which exceeds the entire parking lot capacity along the Park Loop Road by 40%. e road to the top of Cadillac can be hazardous. A 2013 engineering study determined it is impossible for the largest vehicles, such as buses and RVs, to stay completely in their lane when negotiating the road's three hairpin turns. From 1989 to 2000, 29 accidents along Cadillac Mountain Road and in the Cadillac Mountain parking lots involved large vehicles. "It's narrow, there are no shoulders, and there's no bike lane," says Steele. "We have more and more cyclists each year going up and, when they do, they go slowly. at causes traffic to want to pass them, which means they have to go left of center to do that and the sight distances are poor. Sometimes there are big buses on the road. All of that, in a nar- row space, means there's opportunity for conflict." e cruise ship industry adds to the situation. e park has seen a 350% increase in cruise ship passenger visitation since 2000; there can be as many as 5,500 cruise ship passengers a day. Currently, the park is keeping tabs on a proposal in Bar Harbor to convert a former ferry terminal for additional cruise ship berths, potentially resulting in more excursions into the park. At the same time, the terminal could be developed into another transportation hub. Contact Perkins Thompson at 207-774-2635 or perkinsthompson.com Solutions start here. Perkins Thompson. With a history spanning nearly 150 years, a thorough comprehension of today's complex legal environment, and a genuine commitment to each client's future, the attorneys and staff at Perkins Thompson are ready to meet your needs. Handling the tough stuff since 1871. Bankruptcy/Creditor and Debtor Rights Practice Group E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 7 1 From left: Randy Creswell, Shawn Doil, Fred Bopp and Lauren Weliver. PT.twothirds.indd 1 6/29/15 4:20 PM C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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