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Bangor is a good place to live, having beautiful nature and the greatest people in the country. However, it is no longer a good place to live without a car. As a high schooler in Bangor without a car or driver’s license and who walks to school, I inevitably noticed the severe inconvenience due to the non-pedestrian friendly environment of our town.
There is no doubt in my mind that Bangor is not a town where pedestrians can feel safe to walk around. It has been dangerous for vulnerable members of society, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities with sidewalks that are not wheelchair accessible.
Stillwater Avenue is especially dangerous to walk on because the road markings and traffic signals that ensure the safety of pedestrians are inadequate though there is heavy traffic. It is not much different in the streets around Broadway either where pedestrian paths are damaged and there are not enough road signs for children in play.
Bangor’s lack of walkability is attributable to lacking clear separation between vehicular and pedestrian area, marked crosswalks for safe road crossing, and well-organized bike lanes around the general Bangor area.
While renovation work is being carried out on the city hall building, I hope there will be some progress to improve the pedestrian-friendly environment in Bangor.
Dylan Cho
Bangor
