POLL RESULTS: Commuter Train Between Bangor and Ellsworth/MDI

I Hear The Train A-Comin'; It's Rollin' 'Round The Bend.

It was many years ago but a lot of us can remember when freight trains ran between Bangor and Ellsworth. Those living along the railroad line in places like Dedham and Ellsworth would hear and most likely feel the daily "rumble" that you could almost set a clock to.

Although, most of us are far too young to remember when the trains actually transported passengers to and from Downeast Maine. Those were the days and a time that is now long ago.

But it's nice to dream, isn't it?

That's what a lot of us do that do the daily commute to and from work between Bangor and Mount Desert Island. We dream of not sitting in standstill traffic when another horrible accident blocks Route 1A, or when we're driving in whiteout conditions in the dead of winter, or in a pounding downpour during the warmer months.

So we asked if you would support commuter rail service between some sort of transportation hub in both Bangor and the Downeast area, and the results were a resounding "yes."

Yes, over 85% of the respondents to our poll said that they'd like to ride the train instead of toughing it out on Route 1A every day.

Just imagine leaving your vehicle at a "Park & Ride" in Bangor or taking the Community Connector to the train station there where you'd hop aboard and then ride the train the 30 miles or so to the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton where Downeast Transportation buses would take you to your destinations.

Yes, we know that it's a $500 million or more pipedream. But, we can dream, can't we?

Now, let's talk about early-morning and late-afternoon bus service.