SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) is working with 18 Maine cities and towns on a new project with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and injuries by making roadways safer.
“In Maine last year, we had about 150 fatalities on our roadways,” Belinda Ray, director of strategic partnerships for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, told NEWS CENTER Maine. "This year, right now, we’re already at 160 [fatalities]. Things are trending in the wrong direction."
The new strategy Ray and the GPCOG are working on is called Vision Zero.
Other states and countries have had success with Vision Zero after implementing new traffic measures in certain areas where crashes tend to happen more often.
Vision Zero was born in Sweden. Ray believes it's a solution that can make Maine’s roadways safer by designing roads around human error.
"We can do that by narrowing roads with paint to encourage people to drive more slowly, added Ray. "We can have better signage or bump-outs that create shorter crossing distances for pedestrians."
Wednesday night, residents of Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, and Portland attended a workshop at South Portland City Hall along with GPCOG leaders to identify roads, intersections, and crosswalks where they feel unsafe.
"I’m interested in Vision Zero,” Jenny Smith-Brock, a Cape Elizabeth resident, said. “I have a particular interest in students being able to get to and from school safely.”
Ray told NEWS CENTER Maine their goal is to finish a draft plan early next year, then gather more feedback from the community to make a final action plan for the region in late spring to early summer.