BANGOR, Maine — At some point in the day, most Mainers find themselves walking in the areas where they live and work. Doing so can come with dangers related to traffic and other safety issues. This is why Bangor is asking its residents to hit the streets around their neighborhoods this month and make some observations.
The city's request to audit its pedestrian friendliness is part of a national effort being made by AARP. Its goal is to help individuals, groups and local leaders assess the walkability of sidewalks and streets in communities across the country.
The "Walk Audit" as it's called, is being organized by Bangor's planning office. City officials are looking for people to map their walks and share information about what areas they feel unsafe in, which neighborhoods are popular for walkers, what areas need improvements in terms of driver safety, sidewalk conditions along with comfort and crosswalk visibility.
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"Once we look at the data, we'll start to see different trends, hopefully," said Bangor Planning Officer Anne Krieg. "That way we can focus our attention as we look at data and our capital plan over the next decade, we can see where should the focus be for infrastructure spending."
The audit is available online for community members to fill out by Sunday, Oct. 31.