BY LYNN FANTOM

If you have ever observed Island Explorer bus drivers staffing the Bar Harbor Village Green information center or driving one of 11 routes around Acadia and Mount Desert Island (MDI), you must have wondered how they can be so cheerful answering the same question again and again or how they know where to stop exactly at an unmarked spot requested only as a trailhead.

These drivers, some 120 strong, are the well-trained employees of Downeast Transportation, who are valued as much for their people skills as their ability to safely maneuver a bus just shy of 26,000 pounds (13 tons). Though some have driven for as many as 30 years, others are in Maine for the first time as work-camper nomads who are supplementing their bank accounts as they see the country.

The Island Explorer has carried more than 8.7 million passengers since it began as a fare-free service in 1999. By linking park destinations, local communities, and the regional
airport, it has prevented an estimated 3.35 million private-vehicle trips, making a big dent in greenhouse gas emissions.

That, along with reducing traffic congestion, are why L.L. Bean and Friends of Acadia have been such consistent supporters. But a shortage of drivers — a nationwide problem — made it necessary last season to switch to a reduced fall schedule earlier than planned and also reconfigure some routes. Many of the summer-season drivers went back to their fall jobs driving school buses.

Paul Bolduc, an Island Explorer bus driver, takes
visitors from the Jordan Pond House to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. (Photo by Lily LaRegina/Friends of Acadia)

Still, Jodi Moore, operations manager at Downeast Transportation, is upbeat as she discusses her 2023 recruiting package of higher hourly rates, bonuses, weekly commitment options, flexible time off, and paid training.

This year, she expects to hire around 20 new drivers, primarily because of turnover resulting from the affordable housing shortage in the area.

“We have about a 90 percent return rate,” says Moore. “These people are the best billboard to get others to drive here.” They include retired teachers, former reporters, even an ex-FBI agent. Just under half are women and many are older. During an interview call, one candidate said to Moore, “I’m going to start by telling you I’m 70. Is that a problem?” She laughed and replied, “No, you’ll fit right in.”

Moore herself was a driver. When she moved to Maine, she couldn’t find a job in her specialty in the medical field and began working as a school bus driver. During the summer when school was out, she took Island Explorer shifts.

Jodi Moore, operations manager at Downeast Transportation.

The thought of “moving that giant vehicle” was intimidating at first, Moore admits. “But then you do it and it’s such an empowering feeling.” At 4 feet, 11 inches, she confides, “The guys used to tease me and ask if I needed a booster seat.”

All drivers must have at least a Class C commercial license with a passenger endorsement. If job candidates are from Maine, Downeast Transportation can help them obtain it. Nancy Mills, a former accountant from New Jersey who now lives in Florida, has been driving since 2017.

She and her husband are RVers who “fell in love with Maine” on vacation and then decided to sign up. Her first day driving, Nancy thought, “I am here in probably one of the most beautiful places in the world, in the national park, and I’m getting paid to do this with people who love being here.”

A strong esprit de corps exists among the drivers. “We do feel like we’re a family up there. I have forged great friendships,” Mills adds.

Maybe there’s something in the homemade soup that has become a staple at the annual end-of season gathering of drivers and their families. Maybe it’s an effect of the gratitude expressed during driver appreciation week each August, when every driver gets a small gift and passengers get involved in celebrating the drivers. These traditions, along with a weekly newsletter, bottled water and snacks for the taking, a Secret Santa program in July, and an opportunity to support the Bar Harbor Food Pantry, help Moore convey the role she believes
these drivers play.

As Mills puts it, “When I’m driving that bus, I’m the face of Acadia National Park. I’m the face of Maine. I’m the face of maybe the United States. I take this very seriously. I know that’s crazy—this is my retirement job. But I just love it because I want people to enjoy their time here.”

LYNN FANTOM is a former New York advertising executive who has embraced her second career as a freelance writer in Maine.