Understanding visitor motivations and decision making in transportation choices: Acadia National Park

Shanks, Laurel

From the abstract: "In the last decade, Acadia National Park has experienced record visitation, surpassing 4 million annual visits. Increased visitation can boost local economies, provide greater opportunities for recreation, and spread conservation messages to a wider audience. At the same time, more visitors have meant greater numbers of personal vehicles, which has caused resource damage across the park. In response, park management implemented several strategies to manage vehicle use and encourage alternative methods of transportation. One such method, the park’s fare-free shuttle bus service called the Island Explorer, has proven successful in mitigating some of these issues and improving visitor experience. Though the Island Explorer is popular amongst users, a large proportion of park visitors are not utilizing the service during their time in the park. To investigate this issue, a survey was administered to the vehicle driving population at Acadia. Visitors were asked a variety of questions about their transportation decision-making process and potential barriers to Island Explorer use. Results revealed a significant knowledge and usage gap especially amongst first-time park visitors who are learning about the bus service too late in their trips or not at all. Many visitors also struggle to make informed transportation decisions without awareness of the park’s congestion issues. Finally, several factors related to bus operations such as long travel time and insufficient user-focused communication can prevent access to the Island Explorer."