L.L.Bean expands support for Acadia’s Island Explorer

Courtesy / Lily LaRegina/Friends of Acadia Visitors ride the Island Explorer shuttle on Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.

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By Staff

Friends of Acadia said Wednesday that L.L.Bean has pledged $1.5 million to support operations of the Island Explorer bus service over the next five years, an increase of 50% over the company’s previous annual contributions.

The pledge is the fifth time the outdoor retailer has committed funding to the bus system, bringing its total contributions and pledges in support of the Island Explorer to $5.5 million since 2002.

“Their sponsorship has sustained fare-free public transportation through Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities over the last 20 years, greatly enhancing the visitor experience, reducing traffic congestion, and connecting visitors and residents to trailheads, carriage road entrances, and local communities,” Eric Stiles, Friends of Acadia president and CEO, said in a news release.

L.L.Bean’s contributions have enabled the free shuttle service to make significant improvements, such as the addition of fall service and the purchase and operation of the Bicycle Express vans and trailers that take bicyclists from Bar Harbor to Eagle Lake throughout the summer.

“Traffic and visitation have increased dramatically in Acadia National Park over the last few years and the impact of the Island Explorer bus system to reduce congestion is more important than ever,” said Shawn Gorman, executive chair of L.L.Bean.

The Island Explorer operates on routes through Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula. The buses run from June 23 to Indigenous Peoples’ Day each year with service starting just before Memorial Day on the Schoodic Peninsula.

Its buses are fare-free, wheelchair-accessible, and can carry four to six bicycles per bus. Overall, the Island Explorer has carried more than 8.7 million passengers since it began operating in 1999. Friends of Acadia estimates that the Island Explorer has prevented an estimated 3.35 million private vehicle trips through the park and reduced emissions of smog-causing pollutants by more than 46 tons and greenhouse gases by more than 30,000 tons.

“Transit solutions are critical to the future of Acadia and other national parks in reducing traffic congestion while enabling visitors to access key destinations within the park,” said Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider.

In addition to support from L.L.Bean, the Island Explorer is funded through transportation fees that are part of Acadia’s entrance passes, federal tax dollars apportioned to the states for rural transit, municipal appropriations, passenger donations, and contributions from area lodging establishments.

Paul Murphy, executive director of Downeast Transportation, the nonprofit organization that operates the Island Explorer said L.L.Bean’s funding can be used flexibly to take care of the Island Explorer’s greatest operational needs, such as driver wages, bus maintenance, fuel costs, printing of schedules, or as a private match for federal funding.

“It’s tremendous to have a corporate partner like L.L.Bean that recognizes a need, is nimble, and enables growth,” Murphy said.