A Section of the Diamond Street Calming by Portand Trails to be Featured on Saturday, September 7, 2024

Last month Portland Trails and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine installed temporary features on Diamond Street in Portland to slow car traffic and improve pedestrian safety.   The street which has no sidewalks or curbs now features painted “curb exensions” with vertical flex posts, speed tables atd the interesection with the Bayside Trail and colorfully painted dots on the side of the road that act as a suggested sidewalk for pedestrians to follow..

“We relocated the Portland Trails office to Diamond Stree earlier this year.  It’s a vibrant street with breweries, stores, a coffee shop and access to the Bayside Trail and there are a lot of people walking and biking there every day,” aid Jamie Parker, Trails & Active Transportation Manager at Portland Trails.   “But we immediately noticed how the streets width and lack of visual cues for drivers encourage speeding and it wasn’t clear where people should walk or cross the street.  The goals of this project are to provide a more comfortable environment for pedestrians and to reduce car speeds.   When we narrow the road with vertical elements and add colorful features that catch the eye, we are sending subconscious signals to drivers to slow down.  That increases the ssfety of our streets for all users.”

The street demonstration will be a featured attraction in the upcoming Clean Transportation Fest, hosted by the Natioal Resources Council of Maine, on Diamond Street, Saturday, September 7th.  The Festival runs from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. The event will celebrate safer streets and active transportation among other clean transportation opportunities.