Members of Faith Linking in Action are concerned about the continued lack of public restrooms in downtown Bangor. Multiple groups have stated it is an issue of health and dignity for all who are downtown.
The City of Bangor has planned for public restrooms in the new bus hub, but they might not be available for at least two years. In the interim, only paying customers in downtown businesses have access to restrooms and only when the businesses are open. The city has provided a publicly available port-a-potty on Broad Street, but recently it disappeared without notice. It has not been replaced, returning the downtown area to a public restroom desert. The basic human need for publicly available restrooms needs to be addressed.
We are asking the City of Bangor to immediately restore public restrooms in downtown Bangor; present a detailed, sustainable solution for construction of multiple permanent public restrooms, in addition to the bus hub facilities, by Dec. 1, 2021; locate the public restrooms in downtown on public or city-purchased property; ensure the public restrooms are handicapped accessible; and create a budget line item for the establishment and maintenance, including cleaning, of the public restrooms. Several smaller cities and towns currently provide multiple public restrooms.
These restrooms are not port-a-potties, but free-standing buildings maintained by the cities and towns themselves or through contract with cleaning services. The City of Bangor can do better.
Inga Turner
Co-Chair
Faith Linking in Action