NEW BICYCLE EXPRESS in Acadia

The wildly successful, propane-powered Island Explorer shuttle bus service on Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park has been very popular with bicyclists, offering bike racks front and back that carry a total of four bikes. This summer the Island Explorer boosted their bike-friendly service by adding the Bicycle Express to help meet the dramatic popularity with bicyclists. Funds to operate the new Bicycle Express were provided by L.L.Bean as part of a $1 million corporate gift to Friends of Acadia. New vans and bike trailers were purchased with a grant from the National Park Service.

The Bicycle Express is a large passenger van towing a 16-bicycle-rack trailer, custom built by Sportsworks. "This is an amazing bike trailer because it only takes a few seconds to load a bike and any of the 16 bicycle positions can be loaded or unloaded without affecting the other 15," says Tom Crikclair, a consultant to the Island Explorer. The van and trailer operated non-stop between the Bar Harbor Village Green and Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park hourly through July and August in conjunction with the regular shuttle buses. The new service allows campground and hotel guests who ride or rent bicycles in Bar Harbor to use the Island Explorer to gain access to Acadia's carriage road system, helping to reduce unsafe overflow parking on roadways that pass through the National Park.

The $1 million gift from L.L.Bean has been used since 2003 to extend Island Explorer service into the fall and to increase the frequency of service on some bus routes. The expansion of alternative transportation for bicyclists helps to underscore L.L.Bean's ongoing commitment to responsible recreation, conservation, and preservation.

"At a time when national parks throughout the country face increased use and underfunding, it's important that we do all we can to support conservation efforts, including alternative transportation programs like the Island Explorer," said L.L.Bean CEO Chris McCormick. "We hope others will join L.L.Bean in supporting America's National Parks," he said.

Schedule information about the free shuttle bus service can be found at www.exploreacadia.com.

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