( I think John wrote this up when we first formed WSMAC)
Westbrook Mobility Safety Committee
This committee is an advisory group formed with the purpose of making the
Westbrook community safer to navigate one step, and wheel, at a time. This
group will follow the model of Bike/Ped committees, but with a specific
focus on safety in all interactions on the sidewalk and roads. There is a
need for education in order to make the city safe for pedestrians -- with
and without mobility issues, and those using wheelchairs or strollers --
cyclists, and drivers.
The committee has corresponded with city officials and is working with Eric
Dudley to remain connected to the City, both to find out what measures have
already been taken that the committee can supplement and to determine how a
focused committee could make improvements by having more time to dedicate
to research and advocacy. The committee’s next step is to hold a public
meeting to share information with interested residents, organizations, and
businesses. This will likely occur on a weekday evening or weekend in April.
The committee is currently reaching out to other relevant organizations,
like Bicycle Coalition of Maine, PACTS (Portland Area Comprehensive
Transportation System), The Iris Network, DOT, and so on.
Once the committee is more established, there will be many ways to get
involved, e.g. joining the committee, helping on specific projects, and/or
joining a mailing list. After receiving public feedback, the committee will
determine other methods for involving community members. The committee
itself will be active in advocating for and educating about transportation
safety.
There is a Facebook page established for initial outreach to the public (
https://www.facebook.com/Westbrook-Mobility-Safety-Concerns-Committee-1102395583184423/
<https://www.facebook.com/Westbrook-Mobility-Safety-Concerns-Committee-1102395583184423/?hc_ref=SEARCH>)
and the committee will eventually have a page on the Downtown Westbrook
Coalition website. The committee hopes to have information on the City’s
website, as well.
