Gorham’s Corner, a 5-way intersection in downtown Portland, gets asphalt murals and pedestrian safety improvements
By Tony Zeli
Who’s behind those flashy new crosswalk murals at Gorham’s Corner that have been so popular with the selfie-taking crowds? The answer is Portland Trails, the well-known nonprofit that maintains over 70 miles of trails and green space in and around the city.
But the project is not just some bright colors to make the tourists happy. It’s a demonstration project to prove that even this five-way, downtown kerfuffle inducing intersection can be made more pedestrian friendly. With help from project partners Portland Downtown and the City of Portland, the intersection now features traffic calming and pedestrian-friendly elements. These include two new crosswalks and a five-way stop, in addition to the asphalt murals.
“Portland is known as a pretty walkable city. However, this intersection always felt dangerous and unpredictable for pedestrians because of fast-moving cars and two missing crosswalks, which isn’t appropriate in the heart of downtown,” said Jaime Parker, Trails and Active Transportation Manager of Portland Trails.
This corner is also the location of the John Ford statue. The statue honors the legendary film director, who is one of Portland’s favorite sons.
“We believe that our streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, and trails all need to work together to create a better transportation network that supports this amazing city,” Parker said.
Portland Trails hopes this project will address these long-standing safety and navigation issues at Gorham’s Corner – where Center, Fore, Pleasant, and York streets meet. And do so in a low-cost way that is easy to replicate.
Act quick. It’ll soon be gone.
“The temporary nature of this project will show us what works and what doesn’t, giving us the flexibility to reroute our efforts, as needed, before any permanent construction takes place,” said Portland Downtown Executive Director Cary Tyson.
No, the colorful murals at John Ford’s feet will not last long on the weather and foot worn roads. But they’ll last for years in our social media feeds. The Gorham’s Corner murals are by local artist Jill Perry of Pamplemousse Studio, who created the work for free. The largest mural reads, “Smile, you’re in Portland,” over a blue and red backdrop. The other four murals feature nautical images like a lighthouse, a whale, and an anchor.
This project was possible thanks to additional project partners Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Ransom Consulting, LLC, and Toole Design. No City of Portland funds were used for this project. All materials, planning, and labor were donated.
Anyone with questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this project may contact Portland Trails at info@trails.org.
