Hello West End Neighbors!
On behalf of the West End Neighborhood Association, we want to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who volunteered with this year’s Traffic Calming Project! This initiative, organized and led by WENA board member Gregory Farino, saw another year of hands-on work from neighbors who truly care about making our streets safer for all.
Last week, Gregory and our super-volunteers David Keith and Stephen Simpson completed the final milestone of the season by removing all remaining traffic calming bollards across the neighborhood. Their effort capped off a fantastic year of participation and community spirit.
Why This Work Matters: Vision Zero
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by changing the way we design our roads and systems to ensure safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. This strategy recognizes that people will sometimes make mistakes, so the road system and related policies should be designed so that those mistakes do not result in severe injuries or fatalities. This means that planners and policymakers have a responsibility to lessen the severity of crashes.
You can learn more about the City of Portland’s Vision Zero initiative here:
https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1728/Vision-Zero-Portland
Thank You to Our 2025 Traffic Calming Volunteers
Your time, your hands, and your commitment made this year possible:
Dominque Gabel
Gordon Platt
Caitlin Enz
Penny Rich
Catherine Nekoie
Stephen Simpson
David Keith
Christine McHale
Mary Lou Moulton
Wes Pelletier
Susanne Ortmann
Katherine Charbonneau
Dustin Pillow
Atiim Boykin
Sarah Paton
Liz Trice
Susanne Hunt
Winston Lumpkins
Rosanne Graef
Kim Sutton
Justin Farino
Heather Hong
Jamie Parker
Carolyn Elliott-Farino
We also want to acknowledge the eleven additional neighbors who signed up and may have participated. Some volunteers came and went during different activities, and if any names were accidentally missed, please know we are deeply grateful for your time and effort. Thank you for your patience with our occasionally absent-minded coordinator! (Greg’s words, not mine!)
Looking Ahead to 2026
With the conclusion of our second successful year, we are beginning to plan for 2026. As in past years, we will recruit a new round of volunteers in March and April. For now, we are asking for your ideas.
If you have suggestions for intersections, corners, or areas where traffic calming could make a meaningful impact, please email hello@wenamaine.org and share your thoughts. We already have a couple of community-submitted locations on our list and would love to build a broader set of options.
Thank you again to every neighbor who helped make this year’s project such a success. We are proud of what we accomplished together, and we look forward to building an even safer and calmer West End in the years ahead.
Warmly,
The West End Neighborhood Association
P.S. Check out these photos of your super-neighbors making the streets a safer place to walk, bike, and drive!
