We need better sidewalks!
The current state of sidewalk infrastructure in the Republic of Panama is alarming and outdated, lacking in maintenance, leaving gaps in the surface, cracked paths, and badly patched areas that are dangerous for the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. The inadequate infrastructure has negative effects on the environment, reduces accessibility, reduces tourist attraction, and compromises pedestrian safety. Nowadays, people have trouble walking comfortably in cities due to rapid urbanization and increasing vehicle traffic (Sisman 401).
The Republic of Panama’s transportation system encounters challenges due to the layout of the sidewalk infrastructure, “In Panama, as with many cities in the world, street blocks have been getting bigger, and the overall connectivity of the network has been decreasing. This is the result of planning for the automobile and a lax regulatory framework that offers little guidance on issues such as street connectivity for new developments” (Hedges 73).