Road safety project aims to reduce serious crashes

A new road safety project to install temporary traffic-calming measures as part of a regional initiative to reduce vehicle crashes in Cumberland County's rural communities will be launched in the coming year.

According to a press release issued by the Greater Portland Council of Governments, road crews will be out in 2025 working on measures in Gray, Sebago, Casco, and Westbrook to improve public safety on roadways leading into Windham and Raymond.

The measures will include making pedestrian crossings more visible and adding speed humps, curb extensions, and center medians. These installations will remain in place for five months, allowing planners to test potential safety improvements in real-world conditions.

Funding for the $100,000 project comes from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant awarded this month to the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

The new funding adds to the $636,772 that the regional planning agency received earlier this year for safety studies and demonstration projects in the Greater Portland area.

"This funding provides an opportunity to test different roadway safety improvements cost-effectively," said Chris Chop, GPCOG's Transportation Director. "Through this process, we can measure impacts and determine if more permanent infrastructure changes are warranted."

The project aligns with the region's Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities from traffic crashes.

The Vision Zero Initiative was adopted by the GPCOG in May 2023 as an action plan to recommend strategies and actions that should be taken to move communities in the Greater Portland area toward improved public safety goals. It identifies and prioritizes key corridors and intersections targeted for changes and improvements as GPCOG considers how to effectively use limited resources.

The initiative also makes recommendations for countermeasures that can be used to address specific safety concerns. These recommendations are meant to be a starting point for the region, not a final, all-inclusive list.

Over time, the plan will be updated so it will be responsive to data and trends, ensuring that local communities continue to make decisions and invest resources in ways that will help them achieve zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

The 2025 demonstration projects will be installed from June through October. Regional transportation planners will compare crash data from before, during, and after installation and gather resident feedback. <