Island Explorer adds some early service as Sustainability Task Force explores tourism’s impact and invites public to open house.
Mar 18, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Havana.
BAR HARBOR—The Town Council took a first step toward residents having discounts or coupons for parking in Bar Harbor when it unanimously approved purchasing new kiosks that would allow for that to happen.
A lack of resident discounts for metered paid parking spaces during the tourist season has been a complaint from many residents since the paid parking program began.
“This would allow us to have the hardware that we need to put that program in place,” Council Chair Val Peacock said.
Police Chief David Kerns said that his staff has been testing the kiosks and programs. They’ve agreed to 10% upfront and the rest of the approximately $250k cost paid in July. There is money in the town’s CIP to fund it currently. For the installation to occur at the beginning of the season, they need to be installed and delivered within the next couple of months.
The current kiosks do not allow discounts or coupon codes. The new kiosks would also standardize the town’s equipment. Currently, some are newer and some are older.
“I can’t tell you how many times people complain to me about parking for residents in town,” Peacock said and added that “it’s very exciting” to begin to address that.
Since it began in 2019, paid parking has provided revenue for the town and the areas and rates have been tweaked.
Parking permits are also used for residential street parking and are free to Bar Harbor residents. The kiosks cover the more congested area in downtown proper where most of the town’s restaurants, inns, shops, and hotels are located. Within downtown some spots are considered “premium” and cost more per hour.
Paid parking begins May 15, Finance Director Sarah Gilbert said during her report.
This past season, the town has collected approximately 3.5 million as of February 28, which is 85% of the yearly goal. It anticipates collecting $4 million. Last year, it collected $3.3 million.
The highest parking meter revenue days for Bar Harbor in 2025, according to Gilbert, were July 5 and October 11.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND THE ISLAND EXPLORER’S EARLY START
The changes come at a time when Bar Harbor’s Sustainability Task Force is looking toward how tourism can benefit the town’s property owners and also how its more negative impacts (such as congestion) can be mitigated. That work is ongoing and there are upcoming public forums next week so citizens can have additional input into the process.
Southwest Harbor, another island town, is looking to potentially have paid parking at three locations on its working waterfront and has contracted the same consultant that Bar Harbor uses. Last week, that town’s Select Board decided to spend the $51,029 to purchase parking equipment for seasonal paid parking at several waterfront areas in town.
It also comes at a time when the Island Explorer, the fare-free, seasonal bus service has prepared for an earlier route run, which was explained in January.
Acadia had an all-time record visitation in 2025 and as both Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park continue to work on ways to mitigate either road congestion or decrease serious injury crashes, the Island Explorer will be starting a bit earlier this year and will be running some routes for Memorial Day weekend.
The free bus system intends to begin running two routes out of the Trenton visitor center beginning May 20.
“Acadia had an all time record visitation in 2025, a little bit over the record in 2021,” ANP Management Assistant John Kelly said during a League of Towns meeting, January 27. “It did exceed even 2021 which was a banner year.”
It also exceeded last year’s visits by 3%.
One early route runs from the Acadia Gateway Center to Bar Harbor’s village green. The other will operate along the Park Loop Road, leaving from the Hull’s Cove visitor center and looping through the park.
The full regular season will begin June 23. There will be 20-minute headways for those routes then. The season ends October 12. The fall schedule will likely begin August 17.
A headway is the time between two buses, Kelly said.
“So that’s a big change for this year in terms of transportation in the park,” Kelly said. “We’ll have some bus service during Memorial Day weekend, which is going to be a first for us. We’ll see how that helps.”
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
After Record 2025 Crowds, Acadia Expands Island Explorer Service for Earlier Start
For information on parking in downtown Bar Harbor, parking permits and other details, visit www.barharbormaine.gov/400/Parking-Information.
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