A public summer shuttle service will begin transporting passengers from the Maine Eastern Railroad in Newcastle to the Boothbay region starting July 4.

What initially started as a Wiscasset to Boothbay shuttle service failed to secure matching state funds for the project, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the line, according to the Mary Ellen Barnes of the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission.

“We've come up with a weekend service that links Damariscotta and Newcastle with Boothbay Harbor,” Barnes said. “It's shaping up to be a great project.”

For $5 a ticket, round-trip shuttle service will be offered twice a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Newcastle and the Boothbay region. The shuttle will stop at the Boothbay Railway Village and the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce. Passengers at the chamber can then link up with the Rocktide Trolley to access the harbor's inner loop.

The Boothbay selectmen originally showed interest in donating $2,000 to the project in January, but on April 9, there were mixed feelings amongst the board members.

The idea has good intentions, Selectman Chuck Cunningham said, but it is alarming if the town gives $2,000 towards a project that only stops once in Boothbay.

“Potentially we're funding this trolley to help one business in the town of Boothbay, and there are many businesses in Boothbay Harbor, and I've got a bit of a problem with that,” Cunningham said.

The original project tried to raise $45,500 for a direct link from Wiscasset to Boothbay, but the Maine Department of Transportation declined to chip in, citing no studies have been done on the project's feasibility.

With less funding, the Lincoln County Region Planning Commission has set their sights at $27,000 for the cost of the pilot program. According to Barnes, nearly $21,000 has been raised from municipalities and private donations.

This summer's shuttle service will target the Boston based area, where passengers can ride the Downeaster from North Station to Brunswick, and hop on the Eastern Maine Railroad to Newcastle, before taking a trolley to the Boothbay region.

If the pilot program proves successful, Barnes said services could expand to more stops and loops in the Boothbay region, including Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Maine State Aquarium and the Boothbay Harbor Country Club. Barnes said studies and surveys will be conducted on the viability of the shuttle service and and the impact it could have on Lincoln County's tourist industry.

The majority of the Boothbay selectmen said the project is worth exploring for a year.

“I continuously say we thrive on tourism on this whole peninsula, I don't care which side of the line you're on,” Selectman Dale Harmon said. “We better embrace it, because that's all we have left.”

Selectman’s Chairman Steve Lewis said the project is worth exploring for one year in order to gather statistics and feedback to see how effective the service really is.

“A lot of good ideas in this country have started on taking a chance,” Lewis said.

The selectmen voted 4-1 with all but Cunningham approving a $2,000 contribution to the new shuttle service running from July 4 to October 3.