Rockland Ferry Terminal is a public

ferry terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferry, ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for e ...

and intercity bus stop in

Rockland, Maine Rockland is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the town population was 6,936. The city is a popular tourist destination. It is a departure point for the Maine S ...

. It is the mainland terminus for ferries to three island communities in

Penobscot Bay Penobscot Bay () is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in south central Maine, a stretch known as Midcoast Maine, in a broader Atlantic region known as Down East. The bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River, ...

: Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus.

Concord Coach Lines Concord Coach Lines, Inc., formerly known as Concord Trailways, and often referred to as Concord Coach, is an inter-city bus company based in Concord, New Hampshire. It serves parts of Maine, New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, and has a rout ...

provides bus service to

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

, Bangor,

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, and nearby towns. State law requires the

Maine Department of Transportation The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT (occasionally referred to as MDOT), is the office of state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads, rail, ferries, and other public transport infrastructure i ...

to operate the ferry routes as part of the Maine State Ferry Service. Ferries to Vinalhaven and North Haven depart several times per day, year-round. Matinicus sees 12 to 36 departures spread throughout the year. These islands are popular

summer colonies The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean, lakes, or mountains of New England, the Northeast United States, or the Great La ...

that often see their populations quadruple during the tourist season. All ferries allow passengers, bicycles, motor vehicles, and freight. Reservations are recommended for cars and trucks.

History

In December 1958, the Maine Port Authority (MPA) solicited bids for construction of a new ferry terminal in Rockland. The following month, the Rockland City Council granted approval for the MPA to build a new slip at the site for use by the Vinalhaven ferry. Though

harbormaster A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...

Bertram Snow warned the new slip would be vulnerable to storm damage, the MPA agreed to accept the liability. The current terminal building was built in the mid-1990s. In August 2011, a man accidentally drove a car through the outer wall of the terminal building, causing a minor injury. In March 2012, the ''Captain E. Frank Thompson'' was delivered to Rockland Terminal to serve on the Vinalhaven route, replacing the ''Governor Curtis''. The , vessel was built by C&G Boatworks in

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, on a $9.25 million contract. It was the first addition to the Maine State Ferry Service fleet in 19 years. The ''Governor Curtis'' was retained as a backup ferry and has been used when other vessels experience mechanical issues. In a fall 2012 project, workers installed an automated ticketing system for the parking lot and backup generators for the motorized ferry ramps. A fall 2018 project added 12 parking spaces, upgraded the drainage system, and improved the traffic flow. In March 2020, in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the North Haven Select Board voted to block non-full-time residents from traveling to the island on the ferry. In March 2021, the terminal building was closed for several days after an employee tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, though ferry service was not suspended.

Ferry routes

Transit connections

serves the terminal, providing year-round intercity bus service on a route between Boston South Station and Bangor. The stop is part of the

Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...

network—riders can make ticketed transfers between the bus and the ''Downeaster'' at

Portland Transportation Center Portland Transportation Center is a bus and train station in Portland, Maine, United States, served and run primarily by Concord Coach Lines (18 round-trips a day) and Amtrak '' Downeaster'' passenger trains (five round-trips a day). It is als ...

. The terminal is within walking distance of Rockland station, which had seasonal

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line, as opposed to a freight train that carries goods. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) push-pull train, ...

service to Brunswick from 2003 to 2015. , plans to extend the ''Downeaster'' to Rockland are under consideration.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Rockland, Maine Ferry terminals in the United States