News Release for September 5, 2007
For More Information: Anna Price, 207-624-3250

Island Explorer Ridership Climbs

The Maine Department of Transportation’s (MaineDOT) Office of Passenger Transportation reported today that this year, ridership on the Island Explorer bus service, which serves Mount Desert Island, has reached its highest level ever.

According to Paul Murphy, operations manager for Downeast Transportation, “This has certainly been a banner year for the bus system.” Estimates for the Island Explorer indicate that during this season, ridership increased by approximately 6% over last year’s numbers. This summer, estimated ridership for the Island Explorer as of August 16th, was 239,718. In addition, the bus service’s Bicycle Express has transported over 9,000 bikes.

The Island Explorer is a free bus system that began operations in June, 1999, and features eight bus routes linking hotels, inns, and campgrounds with destinations in Acadia National Park and neighboring village centers. Clean, propane-powered vehicles offer Mount Desert Island visitors and residents transportation to hiking trails, carriage roads, island beaches, and in-town shops.

MaineDOT continues to provide operating support to the Island Explorer, and over the next two years, plans to construct a bus maintenance facility as part of a larger Intermodal facility, in the town of Trenton, to house all of Downeast Transportation’s fleet of buses.

For more information, contact the MaineDOT Office of Passenger Transportation, at 207-624-3250 or Passenger.MaineDOT@maine.gov.

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