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Contact: John Kelly, 207-288-8703
From June 23 to October 10, the Bubble Pond parking area will be open only to Island Explorer buses and bicycles to improve visitor safety and allow better circulation for the buses. During this time, the Island Explorer will provide fare-free bus service to Bubble Pond via the Loop Road (#4) and Jordan Pond (#5) routes.For the bus schedule and other Island Explorer information, please visit www.exploreacadia.com. The 11-space Bubble Pond parking area has a long history of vehicle congestion and illegal parking, which have often prevented the Island Explorer from operating safely and efficiently at the bus stop. On a recurring basis, illegally parked vehicles have forced the Island Explorer to load and unload passengers at the side of the Park Loop Road rather than using the bus stop. The NPS is addressing these concerns by separating private vehicles from the Island Explorer bus stop. Cyclists who wish to use the lot to park their bicycles will be able to do so with a new bike rack, and picnic tables will also be placed in the parking area. "Bubble Pond is the most challenging bus stop for the Island Explorer to navigate.Conflicts between private vehicles and buses create delays in service and unsafe conditions for visitors," said Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider. "We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of visitors as we look at ways to improve transportation in the park." The NPS will evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of managing the Bubble Pond parking area for buses and bicycle parking only to help inform the development of a transportation plan for Acadia National Park.The purpose of the transportation plan is to determine how best to provide safe and efficient transportation and a variety of high quality experiences to visitors within Acadia National Park while ensuring the protection of park resources and values.The plan will comprehensively examine several management options to improve safety on park roads and reduce crowding and congestion at key visitor destinations and travel corridors. For information on the transportation plan and opportunities to comment, please visit parkplanning.nps.gov/acadtransportationplan. The Bubble Pond parking area is located off the Park Loop Road about half-way between Cadillac Summit Road and Jordan Pond. Parking along the Park Loop Road in this area is prohibited at all times. The Bubble Pond parking area will reopen to private vehicles on October 11. |
Last updated: June 22, 2016