When I stopped owning cars, I began to see and feel how non-drivers navigate their days. And I became, almost without meaning to, an advocate for things like public transportation and pedestrian downtowns. But it was only after doing some research that I began to sense that I was part of a movement, small but growing, a pushback against the ubiquity of the car culture and the damage it has wrought.

What is going on with Bangor’s bus system? Three years ago this December, we celebrated the opening of the Bangor Area Transit Center, a beautiful new nexus for the Bangor Community Connector, in the perfect location. The station still looks good. There’s new electronic signage, and new software than can tell you when the next bus will arrive and where it is on its route. But in terms of basic service, it’s been one setback after another.

At the very end of the peninsula is Deer Isle, which is really several islands, connected by low causeways that periodically flood during storm tides. Deer Isle’s only road connection to the mainland is a suspension-cable bridge built in 1939. I’ve been crossing (and sailing under) this bridge my whole life. It was built with an 85-foot clearance that accommodates the windjammer schooners and most larger sailboats.