ME: West End neighbors organize to make streets safer with traffic calming projects

Gregory Farino couldn't shake the feeling that traffic safety in the West End neighborhood was getting worse. He spotted more cars speeding down streets and running stop signs. He saw fewer pedestrians out and about. He read stories in the news about pedestrian and cyclist deaths in Portland.

So Farino, a board member of the West End Neighborhood Association, started speaking to neighbors about the problem and found they shared many of the same concerns.

"We talked about getting in touch with the city to see if they could put in more stop signs or more red lights," Farrino said. But when it became clear such changes could take months or years, Farino and his neighbors set out on their own to make their slice of Portland a little bit safer.

With the help of the city, WENA partnered with Portland Trails to come up with quick and easy traffic calming measures that could be installed by volunteers. Kip DeSerres, the group's president, applied for a $3,000 grant from Maine Medical Center, and the group received permits to paint new crosswalks and install bollards at specific intersections.

The group started last year with projects at two intersections on Danforth Street, but this summer, volunteers are ramping up their work and have painted crosswalks and installed bollards at five intersections around the West End. They've also posted signs to discourage speeding, such as a picture of a bunny with the slogan "20 is plenty."

"It's a way of slowing people down until you can institute more permanent measures," DeSerres said.

Traffic concerns

Earlier this year, a sharp spike in fatal crashes involving pedestrians, including three in Portland, prompted unease among many residents. In response to those concerns, the Portland City Council passed a Vision Zero resolution, which aims to eliminate all traffic deaths and injuries in the city. Vision Zero takes a comprehensive approach to road safety, emphasizing changes to infrastructure, laws and public education, with the ultimate goal of creating safer environments for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and public transit users alike.

"(Those incidents) added additional weight to the feeling we all had that traffic was moving more quickly (and that) vehicles were taking stop signs as recommendations, not as requirements," said Farino.

The council also passed a resolution last fall to restore two-way traffic on State and High streets, which have been one way since 1972, in an effort to curb speeds and make the area safer for pedestrians.

However, those efforts could take years, and West Enders wanted to see change sooner than that, DeSerres said.

Members of WENA organized a traffic study, did some research and reported back to the rest of the group. The study pinpointed areas that most needed traffic mitigation efforts, based on where people most often crossed the street with no crosswalk and where speeding was most often seen.

Red-light cameras, speed bumps and additional stop signs were mentioned as potential solutions, but they'd all require ample funding, time and — in the case of red-light cameras — a change to state law.

"So we looked at, what are some things we can do now, independent of the city redesigning roads?" DeSerres said. "What can we do now to remind people to lower their speed?"

DeSerres began organizing volunteers and amassed about 30 people who have pitched in to install the crosswalks and bollards. Among that group is City Councilor Wes Pelletier, who represents the West End.

"It is truly a unifying thing," Pelletier said. "WENA is a model of how a neighborhood organization can really get involved and make their community safer and better. And from a policy perspective, I want to look at how we can put in more permanent infrastructure to meet those goals."

The neighborhood association wants the same thing.

What's next

DeSerres and Farino both said they hope the impact of the temporary traffic calming installations — which have to be removed each winter to make way for snow plows — will inspire the city to make more permanent changes.

"It's not a cure-all, but we notice the difference, and we want to see this momentum continue," Farino said.

Farino said he hopes WENA can advocate for more permanent changes at the municipal level and, in the meantime, continue with the seasonal installations.

Jaime Parker, special projects director with Portland Trails, has been instrumental in helping the neighborhood group organize and implement its projects. He's helped the volunteers navigate permit applications and become more familiar with affordable ways to slow traffic.

Parker said making streets safer isn't just a way to save lives, it's also a way to encourage more people to walk and bike around the city.

"If people don't feel safe, they may not choose to walk or bike," Parker said. "But if we can provide that safety, we can save a life — but also, we can get more people out walking and biking in their neighborhoods."

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