20 Is Plenty Campaign

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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 19, 2026, 9:30:46 PMJun 19
to Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
All, 

I am making a separate thread to ensure that efforts are focused for a 20 is Plenty campaign. I truly appreciate all the thought that has gone into offering different engineering solutions to dangerous intersections, but the other threads have drifted into specific engineering and designs to implement, which falls out of scope.

The purpose of this thread includes, but will likely not be limited to :
  1. Identify and recruit volunteers and allies.
  2. Scheduling and organizing our campaign's actions.
  3. Constant intra-campaign comms. Healthy discussion is motivating!
  4. Communicating with other organizations to move things forward.
Strictly speaking, I'm not actually a member of PBPAC, and I'm certainly not on the Board of it. I hope I'm not out of line or stepping on the toes of PBPAC and it's leadership. If anyone at PBPAC wants to take over the administration of the campaign, that's fine by me. Just drop a line. The first step is to have someone step up and get gears turning, regardless of who.  

Running a campaign is really, really hard. With this thread, I hope solid lines of communication can get built, and regularly utilized. Constant, directed chat is important to keeping morale up and the campaign focused.

Now then, with that preamble out of the way, we have some questions to ask ourselves :

Firstly, what can you, dear responder, start working on in order to move the campaign forward?

Do you have skills in graphic designs and marketing? Do you know where we can get good deals on printing shirts and flyers? Are you in regular contact with a councilor or staff member? Bring any knowledge, connections, or skillsets out! Once we get those, we can start figuring out who will do what.

Secondly, will you do me a solid? Reach out to that one person you know with useful knowledge or skills and ask them to contribute! Try and figure out what times they are available to contribute!

Jacob Lavarnway

Vision Zero Maine

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Jun 20, 2026, 7:29:17 AMJun 20
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Jacob, thanks for getting the ball rolling. 

With the most recent pedestrian fatality, now is a good time to push this campaign. Please sign up Vision Zero Maine as an advisor and stakeholder. 


Paul Drinan
Vision Zero Maine
POB 17834
Portland, ME. 04112



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Rauschpfeife

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Jun 20, 2026, 8:28:38 AMJun 20
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I think it does seem like a good idea to separate out the 20/Plenty initiative from some of the others. It's a simple, easy-to-understand idea and it really makes the point that driver convenience and driver satisfaction simply don't and shouldn't outweigh everybody else's safety (or even convenience and satisfaction, for that matter). 

Unfortunately, I don't have any of the useful skills Jacob mentioned. I've been told I do have a plausible prose style, though, and I've had a few things appear in the PP-H. Also pretty good at editing wonkery, of the kind we earnest activists tend to produce, into sensationalist journalism. 

-- 
Best, 
Michael Smith


On Fri, Jun 19, 2026 at 9:30 PM Jacob Lavarnway <jlava...@urbanistportland.me> wrote:
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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 24, 2026, 4:19:57 PM (12 days ago) Jun 24
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All,

With the upcoming workshop on July 8th, we need to be prepared, and have actionable policy and presentations ready to go. This will help a lot with getting councilors into the correct mindset.

As others have brought up, having a Crash Analyisis team that consists of advocates and engineers identifying contributing factors, rather than police attempting to identify fault, is crucial.

We should have a presentation that explains such a policy and a draft of said policy, ready to go, and a councilor that is willing to put it on an agenda.

Do we have that a policy doc written anywhere that can be brought to the meeting? And what about a PowerPoint to explain it? Who will give that presentation? 

Kate has already expressed interest in traffic safety earlier. Can we ask her to put it on the agenda for the 8th?

Jacob Lavarnway

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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 24, 2026, 5:07:30 PM (12 days ago) Jun 24
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Ah, I see that there is already a demands draft in prior email chains. I'll go ahead and link that here for my own convenience. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Qi-fLUkpoVS-htSE8jQrKFAnoUvp9v7a5iLN-MFS-o/edit?tab=t.0

Is anybody working on a powerpoint for this?

Jacob Lavarnway

Scsmedia

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Jun 24, 2026, 5:15:06 PM (12 days ago) Jun 24
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Their workshops are for staff to bloviate.  Very rarely do they look to outside groups to provide them information.  And there is also even more rarely, public comment or input.

Steven Scharf

Winston Lumpkins

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Jun 24, 2026, 9:27:33 PM (12 days ago) Jun 24
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Unfortunately that is usually the case, though, approaching the council in good faith is a worthwhile tactic.  

Because we've never suceeded in presenting to the council or S&T committee, I hadn't thought of a powerpoint.  
An opportunity like a workshop might be a little difrent, I think they did allow the Portland tenants union to present at a workshop last year. 

A powerpoint just in case could be worthwhile if someone is good at making them.  Christian's recent post with graphs and stats about speed and crash severity could be helpful! 

-Winston

Winston Lumpkins IV (he/him/his)

Past Chair, Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
https://www.portlandbikeped.org/

winston....@gmail.com
207-408-1508



Zack Barowitz

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Jun 25, 2026, 5:02:31 AM (12 days ago) Jun 25
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Two thoughts:
- Because the city doesn’t have an official bike ped committee we really should be able to present at workshops. Years ago we had a lot more recognition as the de facto committee for the city but former City Manager Jennings destroyed that arrangement and staff never showed will to restore it. 
- I thing this effort deserves and would benefit from a working group/sub-committee to focus in on goals and tasks. 
Thanks
Zack 


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Kate Sykes

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Jun 25, 2026, 10:50:09 AM (11 days ago) Jun 25
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Councilor Phillips,

I'd like to request that we invite representatives from the Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PBPAC) to participate in the July 8 workshop on pedestrian safety and Vision Zero.

As the Council considers immediate actions to address the recent increase in pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries, I think it is important that we hear not only from staff, but also from the community members who have been deeply engaged in this work for years.

PBPAC has been organizing around several policy proposals, including a citywide 20 MPH speed limit, improved post-crash analysis, safer street design, and other Vision Zero initiatives. They have also been mobilizing residents in response to recent events and are developing concrete recommendations for Council to consider.

It is not unusual for Council workshops to include presentations from community organizations and other stakeholders when their expertise can help inform policy. I believe hearing directly from PBPAC would make for a stronger and more productive discussion.

I have copied members of PBPAC so they are aware of this request. If the invitation is extended, I believe they will be prepared to share both their perspective on the current moment and the policy recommendations they believe deserve Council's consideration.

Thank you for considering this request.


Kate Sykes (she/they)
Councilor, Dist. 5
City of Portland
389 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101

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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 27, 2026, 1:04:20 PM (9 days ago) Jun 27
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Steve has set up a When2Meet for if anyone wants to talk strategy. If there are specific action items, materials, or campaign infrastructure that anyone wishes to be discussed, let me know and I can set up an agenda.


Scsmedia

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Jun 27, 2026, 1:13:23 PM (9 days ago) Jun 27
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The other Steve needs to add a last name.

I basically said I am available anytime.

Steven Scharf

Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 27, 2026, 1:24:18 PM (9 days ago) Jun 27
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Oh, whoops! I should clarify - Steve Laudage, hes one of thr UCP members, and my Twctical Urbanism understudy

Liz Trice

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Jun 28, 2026, 9:03:45 AM (8 days ago) Jun 28
to Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
I reached out to the 20 is Plenty to find out how we could get organized locally, and they connected us to https://www.familiesforsafestreets.org/
We have a meeting scheduled with someone from families for Safe Streets Monday at noon, anyone is welcome to attend, connection info below. 

Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 29, 2026, 8:35:00 PM (7 days ago) Jun 29
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Campaign Updates - 06/29/2026

Hello everyone! An effective campaign requires regular internal communications to ensure it proceeds smoothly. When radio silence is allowed to reign, paralysis can occur as there is no clarity as to who is in charge, what decisions are being made, or what's going on.

To keep communication effective and the campaign moving, I'll be putting out regular updates on what's been done, what's in progress, and what needs to be hammered out. I've not decided on a cadence yet, but something is better than nothing.

What's Been DoneWhat's In Progress
  • Clayton Note, a member of the UCP,  is currently in the process of drafting designs for campaign lit. He rightly pointed out that as this campaign has a specific goal and is currently shaping up in-between different orgs, it may be wise to create distinct branding, separate from and supported by UCP and PBPAC. That way, the "20 Is Plenty" Message sticks, rather than any specific organization. Once those are ready, we'll have our first concrete action item for the Campaign to review. Big thanks to Clay!

What Needs Doing
  • Form A Deliberative Body. Currently, we are so early into the campaign that a distinct, deliberative body to manage it has not yet been formed, nor have rules been written for what this body looks like. It cannot be said to be solely the brainchild of PBPAC or UCP, as members of both organizations have made important early contributions. This is priority #1 before moving forward. I will be reaching out with a When2Meet for both PBPAC and UCP members to find out a meeting time. 4th of July Weekend, as well as most of next week, is likely to be ruled out by default.

  • Stockpile LTTEs & Social Media Posts. Pre-writing multiple LTTEs by different authors, then parceling them out over a period of time, will give individual authors time to take their summer vacations, and keep our message in the eyes of the public. Social media posts can also be pre-written, but making items that match the branding will be more effective. So, we'll be holding off on social media until organizational structure is formed and design drafts are reviewed.

  • S&T Committee Presentation @ July 8th. Councilor Sykes has sent an email to Councilor Phillips, chair of the S&T Committee, asking the latter to allow PBPAC representatives to participate in the July 8th S&T Workshop. I have yet to hear from PBPAC, Councilor Sykes, or Councilor Phillips on the latter's response, although I doubt there would be any reason for her to refuse.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 29, 2026, 8:39:29 PM (7 days ago) Jun 29
to Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
A When2Meet to form a deliberative body has been created. You can view it here! https://www.when2meet.com/?37280625-OvSmv 

Scsmedia

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Jun 29, 2026, 11:02:41 PM (7 days ago) Jun 29
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Good info here.

I would divorce Redesign Marginal & Preble Now! from the main message.  Site specific issues should be separate campaigns.

We should be focusing on the main message.

Steven Scharf

Paul Drinan

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Jun 30, 2026, 7:22:04 AM (6 days ago) Jun 30
to Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
re graphic design: I recommend using the international campaign graphics. 

Feel free to add Vision Zero Maine as an endorser. 

Vision Zero Maine is happy to help with any PR/coms strategies. 

Todd Russell

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Jun 30, 2026, 10:31:59 AM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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I would be happy to help with graphic design or illustration if needed.
- Todd


Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 30, 2026, at 7:22 AM, Paul Drinan <pdr...@gmail.com> wrote:

re graphic design: I recommend using the international campaign graphics. 

Zack Barowitz

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Jun 30, 2026, 10:40:54 AM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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Looks great. I requested edit access so that I could make comments.
Re: Graphic Design, one rule that I have is to use just one type enhancement at a time. Type enhancements include:
Bold
Italics
ALL CAPS
Color
Underline*
**Use of Asterisks**
Size
In a document like this with multiple sections and headings, the use of different enhancements not only emphasize certain points but also makes for visual organization of the information.
* I almost did not include Underlining on this list because during the typewriter era, underlining was used as a substitute for italics because typewriters could do italics. I use underline very sparingly, because it is ugly and archaic but sometimes it lends some indignation or a scolding tone to. (The use of asterisks in text messaging does the *same thing.*)


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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 30, 2026, 5:48:06 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
to Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Option 2.png
Option 1.png
Option 3.png

Scsmedia

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Jun 30, 2026, 6:06:31 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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PBPAC is our internal shorthand.  It should never be used to refer to the group.

This is our logo.



Steven Scharf

Scsmedia

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Jun 30, 2026, 6:35:55 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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Inline image

I agree that # 3 is the best graphic, except the text is not the right message.

Slower speed save lives.  Portland has a problem. 

When vehicles travel less than 20 mph, accidental pedestrian and bicycle fatalities have a 93% chance of survival, compared to only 75% at 25 mph*.  Our roads are designed to encourage people to get to their destination as quick as possible.  That means drivers are going to fast for thier surroundings.  Accidents happen, but if we encourage people to go less than 20, those accidents will do far less personal damage.

We need to make streets safe for all Portlanders.

* Schmitt, Angie, 3 Graphs That Explain Why 20 MPH Should Be the Limit on City Streets, Speed kills, especially on city streets teeming with pedestrians and cyclists. Streetsblog USA, May 31, 2016 https://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/05/31/3-graphs-that-explain-why-20-mph-should-be-the-limit-on-city-streets

The blog reference is for our info and is not meant to be included in the message.  It should be referred to in more extensive briefing on the issue.

Steven Scharf

On Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 05:48:10 PM EDT, Jacob Lavarnway <jlava...@urbanistportland.me> wrote:


All,

Scsmedia

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Jun 30, 2026, 6:38:36 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
to 'Scsmedia' via Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee


Try again

Steven

Scsmedia

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Jun 30, 2026, 6:42:39 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jun 30, 2026, 6:50:35 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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Since this image is a .png, there is loss of detail and artifacting when scaled up and down in size.

Does PBPAC have a .svg version of the logo or a brand guide I can provide to Clay?

Jacob Lavarnway

Zack Barowitz

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Jun 30, 2026, 8:14:53 PM (6 days ago) Jun 30
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I think the red and white traffic sign sends the clearest message. 
The blue and yellow looks nice but somehow looks like a social service message of
Some ambiguous message. 
The light blue and yellow is a slow 3rd
Overall ver cool. 


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Emilie Swenson

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Jul 1, 2026, 9:31:23 AM (5 days ago) Jul 1
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I like the red and white sign. It catches your attention quickly.

I think the message should tell people what TO do VERY briefly. 

If these are to be placed along roadsides so that drivers might see, we don't want to have too much text for them to read... (but if the intention is to put posters around town for people who are walking into a business or something like that, there could be a bit more information and maybe a QR code to learn more on a website?) 

Great work everyone!!!


Jacob Lavarnway

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Jul 1, 2026, 8:58:43 PM (5 days ago) Jul 1
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Clayton has a message he asked me to share while he waits for permission to enter the listserv. He asks for more information on what sort of materials (Flyers of various sizes, brochures, signs, etc.) the Campaign desires, as well as final confirmation on the exact wording of the message and the tone of voice it's using. The new revision is attached as a PDF :

  1. Thanks for the feedback everyone. I made some revisions based on the notes, but in order to make progress beyond creative explorations, I'll need approved deliverables and final messaging. Attached you'll find a new version of the red and white version but on a post card. It has a front and back with placeholder shapes for logos and a QR code. My suspicion is that we'll want at least two deliverables. Something we can post on bulletins around US Letter size and something that's easy to port around, hand out, and leave by supporting businesses' checkouts—like a post card.
  2. Revisions:
    • Reduced the yellow to a softer off-white.
    • Simplified the messaging on the front.
    • Expanded the messaging on the back.
    • Added a space for a QR code and sponsor/supporter logos

20isPlenty-Notecard.pdf

Lucy Climer-Kennedy

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Jul 1, 2026, 9:50:28 PM (5 days ago) Jul 1
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Love the revisions!

Serious issue serious colors. The contrast is better too.

Yes to bulletin board poster.

A sticker with the speed limit sign would be great. Good to pass out and put around. 

A lawn sign might be good. We could put them up at crash locations and have in yards. We would need more budget to actually do that.

Website might be a later issue…

Would love to hear others thoughts,

Lucy



From: pb...@googlegroups.com <pb...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Jacob Lavarnway <jlava...@urbanistportland.me>
Sent: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 20:58:42
To: Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee <pb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [PBPAC] 20 Is Plenty Campaign
 

Zack Barowitz

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Jul 1, 2026, 10:02:03 PM (5 days ago) Jul 1
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I agree with Lucy. Would also like 9x 12 flyers
To staple to telephone poles. 
Great work!!
Zack


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Cary Tyson

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Jul 2, 2026, 9:04:17 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Just a note that flyering telephone poles, power poles, etc (aka handbills) is illegal within the downtown. I'm the guy who is required to send violations to the city prosecutor, and I definitely do not want to do this with these flyers. 
Sincerely, 

Debbie Downer 

--

Cary Tyson, LPM

Executive Director

Portland Downtown

Office: 87 Center Street, Portland, ME 04101

Mail: PO Box 8593, Portland, ME 04104
207.772.6828
 

Visit our website

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Portland Downtown stimulates a thriving, vibrant, and sustainable downtown community. To learn more, click here.


Looking to book a meeting? Click HERE for some availability
SAVE THE DATE: Jane's Walk Maine, Saturday, May 2



Zack Barowitz

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Jul 2, 2026, 9:25:51 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Cary,
That’s interesting. What constitutes “downtown”. Most poles in town are metal and don’t take staples. 
Thanks
Zack 


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Jacob Lavarnway

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Jul 2, 2026, 9:30:03 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Apparently its anywhere in the B-3 zone. We're still allowed to post on the bulletin boards at Monument Square, however.

Code 17-3(c)

Cary Tyson

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Jul 2, 2026, 9:31:59 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Here's the text we're given to send when we find a violation. Looking at this, I see it's all city property. It's just that we're required by our agreement with the City to address the situation downtown (for us, Cumberland to Commercial; Longfellow Square to Franklin Arterial, basically), so in fact, it's a bit broader. 

The City of Portland Code of Ordinances prohibits posting handbills on city property as follows:
City of Portland Code of Ordinances, Chapter 17, Sec. 17-3. Handbills. (c) No person shall post or otherwise attach any handbill, circular or paper sign to or upon any sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, curbstone, street lamppost, hydrant, tree, shrub, tree stake or guard, trash receptacle, railroad trestle, utility pole or wire appurtenance, or any light pole, public bridge, drinking fountain, street sign or traffic sign, or upon any other object lawfully located in the street right-of-way.

Jacob's correct; there are spots such as the board in Monument Square, one in Congress Square (returning post construction), and a few other spots. Bard's always good about this, as is the Library, among other spots. 

--

Cary Tyson, LPM

Executive Director

Portland Downtown

Office: 87 Center Street, Portland, ME 04101

Mail: PO Box 8593, Portland, ME 04104
207.772.6828
 

Visit our website

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn

Portland Downtown stimulates a thriving, vibrant, and sustainable downtown community. To learn more, click here.


Looking to book a meeting? Click HERE for some availability
SAVE THE DATE: Jane's Walk Maine, Saturday, May 2


Zack Barowitz

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Jul 2, 2026, 9:43:37 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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I guess I’m not as much of an urbanist geek as I thought, where is the B3 zone?


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Rauschpfeife

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Jul 2, 2026, 11:29:45 AM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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I've found, over the course of the last 70 years or so, that looking the other way can be a very useful life skill. 

-- 
Best, 
Michael Smith

On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 9:04 AM Cary Tyson <ca...@portlandmaine.com> wrote:

Scsmedia

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Jul 2, 2026, 1:14:33 PM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Thank you for saving me the notion of being the bad guy on this.

Putting handbills or flyers on city poles or utility poles (commonly misnamed as telephone poles) anywhere in the State of Maine is illegal.

Steven Scharf


Paul Drinan

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Jul 2, 2026, 6:01:39 PM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Love this design - bold, clear, and easy to read. Well done.


That said, I would encourage the following edits:


1. Nix the language at the bottom of page 1: "Let’s redesign Portland’s streets so they’re safer for everyone.".

20 Is Plenty is about reducing speed, not redesigning streets and this may be confusing for the intended audience - especially with traffic calming installations becoming more common. 


2. Consider replacing that text (Let’s redesign Portland’s streets…. at the bottom of page 1) with the page 2 bold header "Slow down. Save lives." 


3. Page 2: replace the text "Slow down. Save lives." and lead with "Why 20 mph?" in the same, larger font size. 


4. Bump the text about Portland streets (Portland’s streets encourage fast driving…) to the bottom under "Ready to save lives?" and replace the text that mentions redesigning streets (which 20 Is Plenty does not do). So bottom of page 2 would read:


Ready to save lives?

Portland’s streets encourage fast driving,

but fast speeds are killing Portlanders.

That’s why we need 20 mph streets.


4. Page 2 bottom text: Again, I strongly recommend replacing any text that mention redesigning streets.

Suggested edit: change it to read: "Help make Portland’s streets safer for everyone - www.XXXXXX.com"



Does PBPAC have a budget for printing?


Please let us know the cost and Vision Zero Maine will contribute in exchange for having our logo on print & digital materials.





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Rauschpfeife

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Jul 2, 2026, 7:18:48 PM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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I think this is the right direction (keep it simple; one thought). I have a slight reservation about saying "slow down", as if we were encouraging drivers to do something pro-social, which they never will, voluntarily. The point is to *make* them slow down; that being the only way it will ever happen. 

-- 
Best, 
Michael Smith

Paul Drinan

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Jul 2, 2026, 8:01:00 PM (4 days ago) Jul 2
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Michael, agreed AND the beauty of 20 Is Plenty is that you don't need universal compliance for it to be effective. You only need 1 in 5, 2 in 10, etc (20%) adoption for it to be effective. 

Would you feel better about "Slow speed saves lives"? 

Zack Barowitz

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Jul 3, 2026, 7:38:35 AM (3 days ago) Jul 3
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Beth Osborne from Smart Growth America is a great communicator on this stuff. Here she is on Strong Towns:


How about compromise language, something like:
“Our Cars and Roadways are dangerous by design. You can save lives by just slowing down”



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Rauschpfeife

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Jul 3, 2026, 9:20:39 AM (3 days ago) Jul 3
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I've been racking my brain about it. Not very good at this sort of thing. Honestly, I think 20 is plenty is a fine slogan, and it leaves open the question of how that's achieved. I don't like the idea of messaging drivers into civic-minded voluntary compliance, though. 

-- 
Best, 
Michael Smith

Emma Holder

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Jul 3, 2026, 10:08:35 AM (3 days ago) Jul 3
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Less is more for effective and punchy communication.

The more words, the more obfuscation of the idea.
And drivers have a lot competing for their attention.

Speed enforcement is important, but I agree that even one driver slowing down will slow the entire column behind them 
I am that slow person who actually drives the speed limit  (when I do drive) - it makes people behind me CRAZY and sometimes very angry, which is not fun to deal with. But I do it anyway, being mostly the cyclist who benefits from slower driving speeds.

Emma


Emma Holder
LMT MSc CMLDT
Humankind, let's be both








Zack Barowitz

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Jul 3, 2026, 10:23:07 AM (3 days ago) Jul 3
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Michael,
I see what you mean, but I think of these signs as just a small part--i.e., education and awareness-- of a larger campaign. So it isn't so much about persuading people to change their behavior, but rather opening some people's eyes to the efficacy of driving more slowly. (And when I say "people" I don't mean everyone,  just the 20% needed for potential allies.
Z



--

Zack Barowitz

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Jul 3, 2026, 4:04:49 PM (3 days ago) Jul 3
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I know some lost cats who would disagree with you.
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