AASHTO Journal - Maine DOT Officially Opens Acadia Gateway Center

The Maine Department of Transportation hosted an event on May 20 to celebrate the grand opening of the 11,000-square-foot Acadia Gateway Center; a multimodal visitor services hub located in Trenton, ME, designed to improve access to Acadia National Park and Downeast Maine while helping reduce congestion on Mount Desert Island.

[Above photo by the Maine DOT]

The $27.7 million Acadia Gateway Center – funded through a partnership that included the Federal Transit Administration, the Maine DOT, the National Park Service, and Friends of Acadia – features 300 free day-use parking spaces, including 18 electric vehicle charging stations and 10 oversized vehicle spaces. It also serves as a hub for Island Explorer buses and commercial tour operators.

The center represents the culmination of a multi-phase transportation strategy first developed more than two decades ago to improve mobility and reduce traffic impacts associated with travel to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.

“The Gateway is expected to be used by nearly 300,000 visitors who, last year, supported more than 14,000 jobs and contributed more than $610 million in wages in this region alone,” said Governor Janet Mills (D) in a statement.

“This facility will safeguard Acadia National Park as the treasure that it has always been by making the visitor experience smoother, more accessible, and more sustainable,” she noted.

“The Acadia Gateway Center represents years of collaboration and a shared commitment to improving the visitor experience while protecting one of Maine’s most treasured destinations,” added Dale Doughty, Maine DOT’s commissioner.

“This facility creates a welcoming first stop for visitors, strengthens transportation connections throughout the region, and helps support the long-term sustainability of Acadia National Park and surrounding communities,” he said.

“We are deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity helped bring this vision to life,” said Eric Stiles, president and CEO of Friends of Acadia.

“By making it easier to park, ride the bus, and explore Acadia car-free, the Acadia Gateway Center will help reduce traffic congestion in the park and surrounding communities, protect park resources, and create a more enjoyable visitor experience,” he noted.