Speed tables were installed on Route 1 in Saco to try to reduce traffic speeds and make sidewalks safer.
SACO, Maine — Some communities in the Greater Portland area are launching temporary street safety projects called Vision Zero as part of an initiative to stop traffic-related deaths.
Crews installed some safety features on Route 1 in Saco on Tuesday morning. These include speed tables and poles around the crosswalk in front of Thornton Academy.
The goal of these changes is to try to slow down traffic and make crosswalks safer, particularly for students at Thornton Academy.
A recent study in the city found that about 40 vehicles an hour exceed 40 miles per hour on Route 1.
The changes on the road are temporary. They’ll be in place until mid-November to test if they do lead to improvements before city officials move to change any infrastructure permanently.
“We’re hoping to see reduced speeds and a little bit of a safer interaction coming toward the crosswalk at Thornton Academy,” Emily Cole-Prescott, deputy city administrator of community development in Saco, said. “We’re really looking at how we can see the whole area, how pedestrians, bicyclists, and people in cars are interacting with that area, both before and after the installation.”
There are also similar projects happening in Portland and South Portland.
On Westbrook Street in South Portland, crews will add flexible posts and paint markings in an effort to improve pedestrian safety and reduce dangerous turns. That work is happening 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
In Portland, road crews are expected later this month. They will work on Washington Avenue to try to improve pedestrian crossings and bicycle facilities and reduce vehicle speeds.
The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) launched these Vision Zero projects in partnership with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the cities of Portland, Saco, and South Portland.
The goal of Vision Zero is to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2045.
According to GCOG, between 2017 and 2021, 92 people were killed and more than 580 people were seriously injured in traffic crashes across Greater Portland.
“We don’t think this is acceptable. We’re saying we can do a better job at improving safety for everyone who uses the roads. Motorists, but also bicyclists and pedestrians,” Tom Bell, GPCOG communications director, said.