Tandem coffee crash

[Winston Lumpkins]

On Monday a driver on congress Street lost control, and crashed into tandem coffee's picnic tables; 2 Pedestrians were injured. 

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/08/25/driver-hits-2-pedestrians-outside-of-tandem-coffee-damages-tables-and-bike-rack/

I have been worried for a while now about Portland's lack of protection against cars in areas where people gather along Congress street- weather it's in front of city hall for a protest or celebration, in monument square, or, indeed, queuing outside Tandem on a busy morning- this crash could easily have been much worse. 

This was a mistake, we think, not an act of terrorism, however, we should probably act soon as a city so that we can prevent things like this from happening again.  

I don't really have the capacity, but, if anyone has any research on what kind of bollars, and those movable barriers, (archer barriers I think) which could be used, we should perhaps write a short letter to the council and send it in Sept. 

Might be worth brigading a council meeting about.  

~Winston

Winston Lumpkins IV (he/him/his)

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

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

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[Zack Barowitz]

I passed by the crash a few hours after it had happened and spoke to a Tandem worker who had just arrived to clean it up. I seem to be firewalled from the PPH but someone told me that it was a new driver; my theory is that they may have accidentally slammed the gas instead of the break.

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[Zoe Miller]

Hi all, 

This is horrifying and such a fear of mine! I'm with Winston on finding infrastructure to protect pedestrians. I was just talking to the owner of Libs (on Auburn Street in North Deering) the other day about the vulnerability of their parking lot, which is often filled with a line of people. I fear someone pulling in off of Auburn Street and hitting the gas instead of the brake. He told me that people cut through their parking lot from Washington Ave Extension to avoid waiting at the stop sign. It's unbelievable what people will do to avoid waiting even a minute. I will be talking more with home about traffic calming and protecting the waiting area. So I am on board for this conversation! 

Another element here is driver training. This is the third recent incident of pedestrians being hit by a driver on their Learners Permit. Less tragic this time but only by luck. One of my kids did drivers ed last year and I have a bunch of insights from that experience I've been wanting to somehow apply to policy. When I rode along for a session, the instructor was complaining about pedestrians crossing in inconvenient places😣 Mind you, in every instance, they were using crosswalks. My takeaway is that students are being encouraged to see pedestrians as annoying. 

Here is a channel 6 piece: https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/tandem-coffee-portland-maine-crash-pedestrians/97-4f2c7c78-1300-4ff6-bf12-4b2769b843f4

And gift link for the PPH piece: 

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/tandem-coffee-portland-maine-crash-pedestrians/97-4f2c7c78-1300-4ff6-bf12-4b2769b843f4

Thanks for keeping up the great work all! 

Best, Zoe 

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Zoe Miller

207-838-8382

[James Cradock]

A dedicated, physically-separated bike (and rollerblading!) lane on would narrow the width of Congress Street and reduce vehicle speeds, allow non-vehicular transport and those not-as-experienced biking alongside cars to easily, safely cross the city on a major commercial street, which could use some help. A curb separating the bike/rollerblade lane would project pedestrians more than paint, flexi posts and "share the road" reminders. 

Thank you. 

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