Bar Harbor considers downtown parking relief for residents during crowded tourist season

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 8, 2026

When the Bar Harbor Town Council authorized new paid parking kiosks in March, it opened the door to local residents possibly getting free parking downtown even during the height of the tourism season. “It opened up potential options for what I deemed an enhanced residential parking program,” Bar Harbor Town Manager James Smith said during a Town Council workshop Tuesday. Now, Smith said, town staff was trying to find out what those options would look like.