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Letter to the Editor: Election results a real cliffhanger for this would-be voter

<p>Would it be a good idea to &#8230;</p><p>&#8230; paint directional symbols and arrows on Northeastern Pennsylvania sidewalks, pointing pedestrians to destinations such as theaters, museums and trailheads?</p><p>The state Department of Transportation recently embraced this low-tech solution to guide motorists to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport near Avoca.</p><p>Certain drivers negotiating a newly installed traffic roundabout linking Interstate 81 to the airport&#8217;s access road had been saying the setup was confusing. Archbald resident Berne Milarck was among them. &#8220;It was crazy. I never knew which way to go,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/601379/airplane-icons-help-drivers-navigate-new-avoca-roundabout-to-reach-airport" target="_blank">told a Times Leader reporter</a>. &#8220;So I thought if they painted airplanes on the road, you would just follow the airplanes.&#8221;</p><p>PennDOT officials listened to her pitch, and last week crews applied an aircraft symbol to the pavement in 11 spots.</p><p>Could a similar strategy by used in Wilkes-Barre, for instance, to point downtown walkers to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts or the Luzerne County Historical Society Museum? Or perhaps Wilkes University&#8217;s art gallery? Or the Burke Auditorium on the King&#8217;s College campus?</p><p>Sidewalk symbols might be a less costly alternative to installing and replacing signs, or what urban planners refer to as &#8220;wayfinding&#8221; elements. Aside from helping people get from Point A to Point B, painted sidewalk signs could supply our streets with a touch of whimsy. A book symbol, for example, could put people on the path to the Osterhout Free Library. A barefoot symbol might show them the way to the Wyoming Valley Levee Trail.</p><p>Forward-thinking people in places that aim to attract new and younger residents &#8211; and stem population loss &#8211; are adopting strategies to make those communities more pedestrian-friendly. (For inspiration on the possibilities, see online resources such as a <a href="http://www.onthecommons.org/magazine/america%E2%80%99s-most-walkable-suburb-offers-lessons-for-towns-everywhere" target="_blank">2015 article</a> about Arlington, Va., by Commons Magazine, as well as last year&#8217;s <a href="http://walkboston.org/sites/default/files/WalkBoston%20-%20Low%20Cost%20Pedestrian%20Improvements.pdf" target="_blank">report on pedestrian infrastructure</a> touted by WalkBoston.org.)</p><p>Can officials in the Greater Wyoming Valley&#8217;s cities and boroughs encourage more walking &#8211; and boost vitality on the streets &#8211; by adding symbols to their sidewalks? Or should advocates of this kind of action just take a hike?</p><p>Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.</p><p>Likewise, tell us your ideas for improving the community. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestion in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;</p><style>
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Our Opinion: Stay on track by painting directional symbols on Wyoming Valley sidewalks