Portland, Maine: Walk Friendly
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Portland, Maine -- Is city living, with its walk and bike-friendly options, also greener living?
Today on the Mother Nature Network, Shea Gunther describes his car-free commitment in Maine's largest city.
Do you think it's easy to live in Portland without a car? Share your thoughts on its "walkability" below.
Photo by Flickr user "Joe Shlabotnik," CC 2.0.
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Trolleys
Back in the day, Portland had a comprehensive trolley system. Can you imagine how green it would be if they hadn't torn 'em all up? And I bet the tourists would love taking a ride on them too.
Car needed
It's Maine. It's cold. Good luck walking in the winter.
Downtown Walkable, Everywhere Else Need Car
I suppose it depends on where you need to get in Portland. The downtown area's fine for walking. But if you take the bus into Portland or need to get to the airport, a car or taxi is definitely needed (and taxis aren't cheap.)
Cabs in portland
are a rip off. Those new bike taxis are kind of cool though.
Walking in Portland
I come down from Bangor to Portland to do some work for a friend a few times a month. Whenever I have extra time, I love to walk all around the city -- especially downtown and Old Port. I also enjoy walking the Back Bay trails and walking along the park on the eastern side of town next to the ocean.
Walkability of Portland
If you are able to walk, Portland is easy to navigate and everything is close and accessible. However, having been on crutches for 3 weeks now and talking with folks who are disabled or handicapped I can understand their struggles with the steep hills, narrow sidewalks, and a number of cobble stoned streets which make for a difficult journey at times.
walking in maine
A former ME resient, I live in Bushwick Brooklyn, and often spend 45-1 hour on public transportation to do something like see a friend, go to a bar, a movie etc. I would rather live somewhere that allowed me to walk (or bike!) for this amount of time and still get where I am going. Subways and buses here are great. But we need them.