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Community Paint & Placemaking Day – Commercial Street Demonstration Project
July 26 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
We need your help! You’re invited to join us for a family friendly, Community Paint and Placemaking Day on Sunday, July 26th from 11am-3pm! We’re recruiting volunteers to assist in a community mural and help install temporary roadway safety measures on Commercial Street in Portland as part of an ongoing Commercial Street Demonstration Project.
We have a few different volunteer time slots and roles. Sign up for a shift below!
Event Details
When: Sunday, July 26th, 2026, from 11am-3pm.
Where: Corner of Dana St & Commercial Street, Portland, ME
What: Sign up to help with the Commercial Street Demonstration Project by painting a community mural and installing curb extensions and parklets.
Rain Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2026, from 4:30-8:30pm.
More about the Commercial Street Demonstration Project
The City of Portland, in partnership with the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, is proposing a demonstration project for the summer and fall of 2026 to enhance safety for all roadway users along Commercial Street between Franklin Street and Dana Street. The proposed installations were conceptually designed by the City, GPCOG, and Neighborways Design. This project is driven by a desire to make design changes that will support the goals of the Vision Zero Greater Portland initiative and is supported by a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant.
The project will aim to improve pedestrian crossing safety, improve visibility of all modes, provide dedicated space for vehicle loading, and create lively placemaking features along one of Maine’s most high-profile corridors.
The Commercial Street installation will include:
- Center medians and pedestrian refuge islands
- Curb extensions
- Defined loading zones
- Parklets
Community Mural
A component of the project is to install a street mural at Dana Street Plaza, where Dana St meets Commercial St. This cobblestone street in the Old Port is a pedestrian plaza with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, a bike corral, and planters, thanks to efforts by Portland Downtown, as well as a seasonal bike share station. As part of the larger SS4A demonstration project, our goal is to lean into the pedestrian realm here and activate the space with a street mural, occupying about 1,200 square feet of asphalt between the crosswalk and the curb extensions.
Our collaboration with local Wabanaki artist, Marissa Joly on this community mural possible with support from Portland Downtown and an artist recommendation by Space Gallery. We are excited to welcome Marissa Joly’s nature and place-based cultural motifs into this space, connecting pedestrians and passerby to the liminal space of Commercial Street at the water’s edge. The paint installation will be a collaborative effort between the artist, the project team and partners, and volunteers.