Portland councilors call for emergency workshop following latest pedestrian death

 The intersection of Marginal Way and Preble Street in Portland on Tuesday. A man was fatally struck in the intersection on June 16. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer) At least two city councilors are calling for an emergency workshop on pedestrian safety following another death at a busy Portland intersection. While police are still investigating last week’s crash and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office is considering whether any charges are warranted, councilors say the city should consider immediate action to prevent more deadly accidents as the summer season arrives. The [death of 49-year-old Jason Ayers](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/17/police-identify-portland-man-who-died-after-being-hit-by-driver/) on June 16 occurred as Portland officials were launching parallel efforts to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Councilors also say they have heard from members of the public about other pedestrian accidents. April Fournier said she requested an emergency workshop last week, and the idea was backed by Councilor Kate Sykes on Monday. In an email to staff, Fournier said the workshop was needed in order to “understand what actions are possible for us to take as a city to protect our cyclists and pedestrians as summer ramps up.” “Kids will be out of school and the streets are already filling with tourists,” she said. “We cannot afford to wait.” Advertisement MAN FATALLY STRUCK IN MEDIAN As of Tuesday afternoon, the state crash report regarding the June 16 accident near Trader Joe’s was still not available. However, a memo to the council last week from City Manager Danielle West offered more details. The memo states that Ayers was “apparently panhandling” on a raised median on the north side of the Preble Street and Marginal Way intersection when a vehicle traveling south through the intersection crossed the raised median, hitting Ayers.  According to the memo, the 82-year-old driver was initially using the center through lane, which had a green light, then abruptly swerved into the left turn lane behind another vehicle stopped for a red light. The memo said it is not yet known why the vehicle then crossed into the median. After striking Ayers, the vehicle continued south through the intersection, into the opposite northbound lanes, coming to a stop adjacent to Trader Joe’s. West’s memo said the crash report states that the driver, whose name has not been released, “does not remember much of the crash.” [](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/27/cumberland-county-prosecutors-to-review-all-future-pedestrian-crashes/) Related [Cumberland County prosecutors to review all future pedestrian crashes](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/27/cumberland-county-prosecutors-to-review-all-future-pedestrian-crashes/) Late last month, Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris announced that her officer will begin [considering charges in every car crash that injures or kills a pedestrian](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/27/cumberland-county-prosecutors-to-review-all-future-pedestrian-crashes/) or cyclist. Advertisement Sartoris said Tuesday that Portland police will send the office its report and they will review whether criminal or civil charges are appropriate. She said a civil violation occurs whenever a traffic infraction results in injury or death, so she believes the driver will at least be charged with a civil violation. More than a decade ago, Portland briefly banned panhandling in medians, but [the ordinance was struck down as unconstitutional](https://www.pressherald.com/2014/02/12/federal_court_says_portland_s_panhandling_ban_is_unconstitutional_/) after it was challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine. AMID LONG-TERM EFFORTS, SOME WANT MORE IMMEDIATE ACTION Over the last several months, Portland officials have been implementing a series of pedestrian safety measures and funding new construction tied to its Vision Zero effort, which commits the city to the goal of eliminating serious injuries and deaths of pedestrians and cyclists. The efforts include a [public awareness campaign](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/11/state-pedestrian-safety-campaign-adds-to-parallel-efforts-in-portland/), new signage at intersections along Franklin Street, and several demonstration projects to test new traffic patterns in problem areas. The city also just kicked off a process to develop its first comprehensive transportation plan in 30 years. However, as those long-term efforts crawl along, advocates say the issue also needs more immediate solutions. Four pedestrians were killed on Portland streets in 2025, including runner Diane Bell at the intersection of Franklin Street and Marginal Way. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/43520420_20260401_pedestriansafety_4.jpg) Myles Smith, chair of Portland’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, at the intersection of Franklin Street and Marginal Way, where a woman was killed in November 2025. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F05%5C%2F43520420_20260401_pedestriansafety_4.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Myles%20Smith%2C%20chair%20of%20Portland%27s%20bicycle%20and%20pedestrian%20advisory%20committee%2C%20at%20the%20intersection%20of%20Franklin%20Street%20and%20Marginal%20Way%2C%20where%20a%20woman%20was%20killed%20in%20November%202025.%20%20%28Derek%20Davis%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) On June 15, the day before the Marginal Way accident, Portland resident Heather Stewart Harvey told the City Council that her sixth grade daughter was recently struck by a car while crossing Woodfords Street in a crosswalk. Echoing similar [recommendations from the city’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/06/how-a-dangerous-portland-intersection-is-driving-talks-on-pedestrian-safety/), she called on the city to reduce residential speed limits and implement a swift post-crash analysis that can be used to improve intersections. Advertisement Two weeks earlier, Christina Winter told the council about a girl who was hit in May at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Walton Street. [](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/06/how-a-dangerous-portland-intersection-is-driving-talks-on-pedestrian-safety/) Related [How a dangerous Portland intersection is sparking debate about pedestrian safety](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/06/how-a-dangerous-portland-intersection-is-driving-talks-on-pedestrian-safety/) In an email to staff Monday, Sykes questioned how many serious pedestrian and cyclist injuries have occurred without the council being informed and said the information provided to councilors so far was missing important data, including the posted speed and history of crashes at the intersection. “If elected officials are expected to make policy decisions regarding Vision Zero, traffic calming, road design, and speed reduction, we need a reliable system for learning about serious crashes and injuries,” she said. Later in the day on June 16, Jacob Lavarnway, a board member at the Urbanist Coalition of Portland, conducted a [speed analysis at the intersection](https://www.urbanistportland.me/blog/measuring-the-speed-of-a-deadly-intersection), which found that 98% of vehicles were traveling at speeds that can be deadly for pedestrians. The coalition is now calling on the city “to take immediate action and implement traffic calming measures at Marginal (and) Preble to drastically reduce vehicle speeds.” West said that in addition to the police investigation, Portland Public Works will also review current roadway infrastructure, signal systems, and other traffic control elements at the intersection.  She also said that the city’s Vision Zero plan includes developing a post-crash reporting framework and improving transparency. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [portland maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/portland-maine/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) [Andrew RiceStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. [More by Andrew Rice](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice)