The new policy began this summer.
Aug 22, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Geddy’s.
BAR HARBOR—Almost 200 Bar Harbor residents have signed up for the town’s parking coupon program, which allows them to have two-hours of free downtown parking in paid parking spots each week.
That time does not accrue.
Town Manager James Smith said during his report that staff had begun the implementation of the council-approved parking policy changes, which include an increase in the hourly cost of prime metered spots to $6.
The change in those premium rates began August 4. Other parking spots are lower in cost.
This pricing structure, Smith said, was intended to push more parking to less premium spots.
By August 14, the finance department had processed 133 residents.
“That’s up to 185 participants in the program” today, Smith said on Tuesday, August 18.
Parking and vehicular congestion is a common topic in Bar Harbor and has been for decades. Some have argued against more spots or a centralized parking garage saying that it would just bring more cars into the town’s downtown center. Others have argued that more parking would help alleviate cars circling and looking for spots in the town, which abuts Acadia National Park. The park has been recently generating 4 million visits annually.
In the last fiscal year Bar Harbor’s parking revenue brought in $4.3 million net of fees. This is more than double that of FY2022-23.
The town is not sure exactly how much parking revenue would be taken away now that it gives residents those two hours of free in-town parking each week, but they’ve estimated it would be a maximum of $832,000 to cover the loss of revenue needed to create a residential parking program.
“Staff will be continuing to monitor the occupancy system reliability and the public response while evaluating the demand pricing options also known as dynamic pricing to improve system efficiency and balance parking utilization um with availability,” Smith said.
The new policy also dedicates “one dollar of each hourly premium paid parking fee collected” into the Parking Solutions Capital Improvement Program revenue account.
That money will be appropriated by the Town Council “for future public parking facilities, parking infrastructure, transportation improvements, and other parking-related capital projects” according to the council order.
To cover those costs so that the town budget isn’t increased, but also to try to encourage parking turnover in spots, the town raised some parking fees to premium paid parking spaces in town and incorporated a few other changes for the town of roughly 5,000 year-round residents that supports Acadia National Park and its 4 million annual visits.
At the Town Council meeting, Smith also gave a quick update on the Route 3 traffic improvements.
“Staff have been coordinating with MDOT and the Jax Labs to propose traffic common improvements along Route 3 and completion of a sidewalk connection between Schooner Head Road and the Jax main campus,” Smith said.
The project is meant to help pedestrians safely cross Route 3 between Jackson Laboratory, a major employer in the town, and its parking areas. It’s also meant to calm traffic.
In December 2020, 27-year-old McKenna Unobskey, a Trenton resident and Jackson Laboratory employee died early in the morning after being struck by a Jeep while she was crossing the road to the main campus. She was in the crosswalk at the time of the accident.
“This initiative was advanced last year but paused before construction. Staff are now revisiting it this year to determine whether funding could be secured through MDOT’s business partnership initiative. No local tax dollars are being proposed under the current funding arrangement because Jax has agreed to reimburse the town for the municipal share required by the state program.”
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art.
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