NOI Full Text.pdf

NOI Full Text

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES

RECIPIENT

1. Operate and maintain a seasonal public transit system that serves Acadia National Park and its surrounding communities on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula.

2. Operate and maintain an Intelligent Transportation System in support of the public transit system.

3. Prepare and distribute an annual route map and timetable for the public transit system in consultation with the NPS.

4. Provide non-scheduled familiarization trips related to the project at the request of the NPS within reasonable operational and fiscal constraints.

5. Provide dedicated interior space on transit vehicles for printed NPS messaging.

6. Develop and maintain an up-to-date, user-friendly website for the public transit system that provides real-time tracking of transit vehicles.

7. Conduct annual passenger surveys to obtain public comments on the transit system and assess rider satisfaction.

8. Submit monthly and annual ridership reports, and annual passenger survey and transit inventory data to the NPS.

9. Acquire new, alternative fuel transit vehicles as needed to maintain a safe, reliable, and cost-effective fleet.

10. Coordinate with the NPS to expand and enhance the public transit system consistent with approved plans and policies for managing transportation in Acadia National Park.

11. Carry out the Statement of Work in Attachment A, in accordance with the terms and conditions stated herein. The Recipient shall adhere to Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and codes, as applicable

NPS

1. Permit the Recipient to operate the public transit system within Acadia National Park according to a mutually agreeable route map and timetable.

2. Provide the Recipient with all available information necessary to operate the public transit system within Acadia National Park.

3. Participate in the annual planning and development of the Island Explorer operation in Acadia

National Park by advising the Recipient on route and timetable improvements, managing conflicts with other park uses, monitoring the quality of the transit service, implementing strategies to increase compliance with park entrance passes, and enhancing partnerships with other organizations and agencies.

4. Promote the Island Explorer and related activities through park publications, website, social media, and information provided at park facilities.

5. Work with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations to enhance and expand the regional transit system to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.

6. Provide the Recipient with all available information necessary to operate the transit service during the period of performance of this Agreement.

7. Promote clean air in the park and the surrounding region by encouraging visitor and employee use of the low-emission buses in the park.

8. Evaluate and identify locations in the park that could be served by the transit system.

9. Ensure NPS concerns are addressed, park resources are protected, and visitors are adequately served by the transit system.

10. Work with the Recipient, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Maine Department of

Transportation to prepare bus specifications (including alternative fuels to reduce emissions) and options for equipment (including an Intelligent Transportation System) appropriate for use in the park and surrounding communities.

11. Coordinate with the Recipient and other partners to review and select equipment, and to approve bus specifications and price.

12. Ensure that the Recipient maintains any equipment acquired through the Agreement according to manufacturer’s specifications to keep it in good condition and maximize its service life.

13. Provide financial assistance in accordance with Article VI of this Agreement.

UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

The Recipient is the only organization in Hancock County, Maine, that operates under a contract with

MDOT to provide fixed-route public transit service. The Recipient has continually provided this service since 1979. The partners (NPS, MDOT, Federal Transit Administration, Friends of Acadia, and local municipalities) selected the Recipient to provide limited service in Acadia National Park in 1990 because they were already providing transit service from private campgrounds outside of the park to the town of

Bar Harbor under a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

The partners selected the Recipient based on its past performance and ability to obtain federal and state funding to offset the cost of the transit system. The successful campground service provided the model for the current system that serves Acadia National Park and the gateway communities on Mount Desert

Island. The Recipient now operates 30 propane-powered transit buses equipped with bicycle racks and

Intelligent Transportation System technologies, such as automated passenger counters and voice/text annunciators. The Recipient also operates its own propane bus fueling and maintenance facility in

Trenton, Maine.

There are two other organizations that provide transportation services in the region that were considered, but not selected for award: Washington Hancock County Agency (WHCA) and West

Transportation.

WHCA provides “on demand transportation service” in Hancock and Washington counties, which is service that is primarily limited to residents that need transport to health care services from their home.

Also, WHAC does not operate the type and quantity of equipment needed to provide public transit service to Acadia National Park and surrounding communities on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic

Peninsula.

West Transportation provides fixed route service and intercity bus service in Washington County that extends into the adjacent Hancock County. West’s service originates over 100 miles away in Calais

(Washington County) and passes through Ellsworth in Hancock County on route to Bangor in Penobscot

County. West Transportation does not have the capacity, including the type and quantity of equipment, to provide public transit service to Acadia National Park and surrounding communities on Mount Desert

Island and the Schoodic Peninsula.