BANGOR, Maine — The city of Bangor is asking people to take part in its walking audit, part of an effort to make the city safer and help city officials with neighborhood and transportation planning.
The goal is for people to report what they see and suggest improvements they believe city officials should consider, including safety upgrades.
"We want to create a safe pedestrian environment for people," Anne Krieg, planning officer at the city of Bangor, said, adding that it's an innovative way to get people out while also getting feedback from them.
Wednesday morning, students from Woodland Pond School in Bangor were busy participating in the audit down by City Hall in Bangor.
They have been learning about data collection in class, and they were excited to put those lessons into practice while assessing crosswalks and intersections.
Their teacher, Julie Patterson, said it's a way for them to be a part of their community.
"We want our students to be stewards and so being able to take part in something like this, it gives them that ownership of we are able to do this and we are able to be part of this big city. Even though we are tiny, we do have a lot to say and our input matters," Patterson explained.
"If things don't work then people might get hurt!" 5-year-old Mira Lambert said.
If you are a Bangor resident and would like to help the city collect some data, there are printed surveys you can pick up at City Hall. You can also fill it out online. City officials are asking that you do it by the end of the month.
"We are going to help the city of Bangor know what they need to work on with their sidewalks or their intersections," Patterson said.
So far Krieg has received 65 surveys from Bangor community members.
"Most of the comments have to do with the quality of the sidewalk and the request for more street trees," she said.
"There is a lot for us to learn by doing this, we have been working on data collection," Patterson said.
Their teacher said it's a way for the kids to participate in community-related activities and surveys.
"I only got one check for a person who was walking slowly," Lambert said.
Krieg said these observations by community members will help city officials make it safer for those who live, work, and play in the city.