State pedestrian safety campaign adds to parallel efforts in Portland

 The intersection of Franklin Street and Marginal Way, where a woman was killed in Nov. 2025. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) PORTLAND — Jeff Larason believes something shifted about five years ago — maybe a combination of larger vehicles and higher speeds — that has made roads less safe for pedestrians. “All over the country it’s going up, it’s not just here,” he said about the number of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries, which doubled in Maine from 2024 to 2025. Larason, program director for Community Voices for Road Safety, was in Lincoln Park on Thursday as state and city officials announced a pedestrian safety awareness campaign that will roll out this summer in Portland, Lewiston and Auburn — communities that are disproportionately represented in statewide crash data. The campaign, dubbed “Slow Down, Portland. We Walk Here,” adds yet another layer to the city’s multipronged effort to address road safety following a spike in pedestrian deaths and injuries, including two that occurred in close proximity to the park along Franklin Street. Last year, the city signed on to a “Vision Zero” initiative committing it to a goal of eliminating pedestrian deaths, however advocates have [pushed officials to pursue more short-term solutions](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/06/how-a-dangerous-portland-intersection-is-driving-talks-on-pedestrian-safety/) as crashes continue. Here are the parallel efforts underway in the city now: Advertisement **‘WE WALK HERE’** The public awareness campaign led by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety will appear over the next few weeks on buses and bus stops and through advertising on the radio and online, reminding motorists that people walking and riding on city streets are neighbors. Lauren Stewart, director of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, said Thursday that the campaign differs from others because the message was created by residents rather than government officials. “As pedestrian fatalities continue to rise in Maine, we need approaches that connect with the people who live, work and travel in these communities,” she said. Related [How a dangerous Portland intersection is sparking debate about pedestrian safety](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/06/how-a-dangerous-portland-intersection-is-driving-talks-on-pedestrian-safety/) The outreach included neighborhood groups like the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization. It’s president, Mike Dixon, said that as the problem has worsened, the group has focused on projects to make the neighborhood safer for vulnerable users. He said the neighborhood has seen roughly 300 crashes over the last five years, with multiple deaths occurring “just a stone’s throw away,” and that the organization helped inform the campaign. “This work has galvanized an unprecedented number of people in our little neighborhood,” he said. Advertisement [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/IMG_0751.jpg) Portland City Councilor Regina Phillips, right, speaks Thursday in Lincoln Park regarding a new pedestrian safety awareness campaign spearheaded by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. At left are Police Chief Mark Dubois and City Councilor Sarah Michniewicz. (Staff photo by Andrew Rice) **PORTLAND IN MOTION** Later on Thursday, the city was set to begin a lengthy public effort to create a comprehensive transportation plan — Portland’s first in three decades. The plan, called Portland in Motion, will establish a citywide road map for how people and goods move through Portland over the next 20 years, city staff said. The first in a series of open houses to get community feedback took place at the Portland Public Library, and an [online survey](https://engagestantec.com/portland-in-motion) is now available. Related [Cumberland County prosecutors to review all future pedestrian crashes](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/27/cumberland-county-prosecutors-to-review-all-future-pedestrian-crashes/) Greg Jordan, an assistant city manager and former director of Portland Metro, has said that the new plan will be “vitally important” to advance projects that will make the most difference on Portland roads. **VISION ZERO** Portland City Councilor Regina Phillips, who chairs the sustainability and transportation committee, said Thursday that the city is making progress on its Vision Zero effort. She said so far in 2026, the city’s crash numbers are down while citations from police are up. She told the audience gathered Thursday that she’s feeling optimistic about the number of projects in the pipeline. On Monday, the City Council will vote to OK about $2 million in federal funding for a demonstration project next year along Brighton Avenue. “This campaign builds upon Portland’s commitment to achieving Vision Zero,” she said during Thursday’s event. “And it directly reflects the values of our community in an effort to encourage drivers to slow down, stay alert, and look out for one another.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [portland maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/portland-maine/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) [Andrew RiceStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. [More by Andrew Rice](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice)