City News Round Up: Friday, August 28, 2026 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

• Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Council, Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings, and to view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings. 
• Read a recap of the August 24 City Council meeting. The next City Council meeting is Wednesday, September 9 at 5:00 PM. 

NEED TO KNOW

• Daytime paving is anticipated to begin Tuesday, September 1 on High Street (Park Ave to Congress Square). Work will require some areas of No Parking and lane shifts. Please expect delays and avoid the area if possible.
• Congress Square Project Update: The foundation design had to be revised due to unexpected bedrock during excavation. The contractor is anticipated to return to the site on Tuesday, September 8, pushing the new substantial completion date to October 31, 2026.
• The Portland Police Department will conduct enhanced traffic details around school zones throughout the city during the first two weeks of the school year, beginning Monday, August 31.
• Portland Downtown has opened a new public restroom at 87 Center Street that is monitored by a front desk attendant, and cleaned regularly by Portland Downtown ambassador staff. The restroom is available to the public seven days a week during normal business hours, with the goal of expanding hours as capacity allows.
• Construction work in and around City Hall's Ganley Plaza will now begin Thursday, September 3; City Hall will remain accessible for the entirety of the work. Read the full details about this project.
• Over the next few weeks, crews will stripe dedicated bike lanes along Arboretum Road and Catafalque Drive as part of the Payson Park Traffic Calming Project. ⁠Temporary road closures and detours may be required.

LATEST NEWS AND CITY EVENTS

• Our Public Works team installed five speed humps along Ocean Avenue last week as part of our ongoing Vision Zero initiative! These traffic calming installations will help moderate vehicle speeds along the Ocean Avenue Elementary School walking route.⁠ Three speed humps were also installed in Payson Park, in partnership with our Parks Division as part of the Payson Park Traffic Calming Project.⁠ 
• We also implemented new traffic signal timings designed to enhance pedestrian safety along the Washington Avenue/Auburn Street corridor as part of our ongoing Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
• A public meeting for the Reimagining Franklin project will be held Thursday, September 10 to share and receive input on the draft street design concept. Join us 5:30 to 7:30PM at the Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium. Sign up here to stay up to date on the project!
• We’re hosting the first ever Waterfront Summit, September 29, 3 - 6 PM at Gulf of Maine Research Institute! Portland property owners, business owners, and all waterfront stakeholders are invited for a discussion on the future of our waterfront. 
• Join us Wednesday, September 30, at the Portland Museum of Art, for A More Walkable Portland, a special presentation by Jeff Speck, renowned urban planner and author of Walkable City, the best-selling urban planning book of the 21st century. The event will feature a panel discussion on Portland in Motion, the City’s first comprehensive transportation plan in more than 30 years, and a conversation about a more walkable future for Portland. The event is free and open to the public; RSVPs are encouraged. Doors open at 6:30; program begins at 7 PM.
• Slow Down, We Walk Here. A new community-driven pedestrian safety campaign is running this summer in Portland to address the growing number of pedestrian fatalities and serious crashes. Yard signs encouraging drivers to slow down are now available! Please email info@portlandmaine.gov with your address if you’d like one.

CITY SERVICES

• Absentee ballots can now be requested for the November 3 election. Request online through the State’s website, or learn other ways on our website. Ballots will be sent out once they are ready in October. Maine residents can now register to vote, update registration details, or change party status online. 
• We're developing a GIS-based mapping tool that will help staff better understand how sea level rise will impact our shoreline.

SHAPE YOUR CITY

• Volunteers Needed! The City Clerk's office is seeking applications for various board and committee positions. Find the full position descriptions and how to apply on our website. The application deadline is Sunday, August 30; applicants will be contacted for interviews. 
• Take this quick community survey about the Portland Urban Forest Management Plan - open until September 20, 2026.
• Shape Federal Funding Locally: Please take our community survey by September 15 to help guide how local housing and community development programs will run moving forward. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

• The Deering Center Neighborhood Association invites you to a Portland City Council Candidates Forum for the District 4 and 5 seats, on October 14 at The Light Church (corner of Pleasant and Brentwood). The District 4 candidates will be featured from 5 to 6 PM, and District 5 candidates will participate from 6:30 to 8 PM. 
• Check out our Park Events Calendar for a list of events, including the many summer concert series happening in the parks.
• Volunteers needed! Help bring this year’s Porchfest to life on Sunday, September 13, 12–5 PM, in Deering Center.
• Affordable Homeownership at Dougherty Commons & Lambert Co-op: One 3 Bedroom Condo and one 1 Bedroom Condo ready for move in at Dougherty Commons, and 1 & 2 BRs available at Lambert Co-op, move in April 2027. Visit their website or call Richard at 207-560-4883.
• The Alpha Legal Foundation AmeriCorps Legal Access Navigator Program hosts free civil legal education workshops every Friday, 1-2 PM at the Portland Public Library. 

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATES

• Check the full 2026 Paving Projects list for the latest updates.
• In late July, road crews installed temporary road safety features on Commercial Street for the Safe Streets for All temporary demo project. You may notice picnic tables or planters in a few parking spaces. These spaces have been removed in order to create better visibility of pedestrians. Two handicap parking spaces have been relocated across the street. Read more about the project. 
• Licensed Commercial Waste Haulers: Reminder to residents and contractors that City Code requires the use of a City licensed waste hauler for all building renovations or construction projects. Hiring a licensed hauler ensures compliance with City Code regarding disposal methods. 
• Ongoing: Neighborhood Drainage and Sewer System Repairs 2025-2028. Gorham Sand & Gravel plans to start work on Concord Street West on Tuesday, July 21.

PARKS, RECREATION AND FACILITIES UPDATES

• Read the latest updates in the August 2026 newsletter or subscribe. 
• The next Park Ranger Hike Club walk is Saturday, August 29, at North Deering Park, 10AM-12PM.
• Portland Recreation is seeking childcare site staff to join our After the Bell program. Help us offer exciting and enriching activities for students (Kindergarten-5th grade), right in their own school.
• Discount tickets for Funtown Splashtown and Aquaboggin are still available, come get your tickets while supplies last! Both parks will close after 9/7.
• The Fall/Winter 2026-2027 Recreation program brochure will be coming to mailboxes in September. No need to wait for the brochure! Many of our upcoming fall and winter programs are already live on the Portland MyRec portal.
• Join our Director Ethan Hipple and members of Portland Youth Corps alumni for the Portland Parks Conservancy Third Thursday Walk & Talk at North Deering Park on September 17 at 4 PM. Meet in front of the ball field at North Deering Park, 71 Ballpark Drive.
• The Portland Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the City, is developing an Urban Forest Master Plan to create a healthier tree canopy. Check out the project website to learn how to get involved! A public workshop will be held on September 17, 5-7PM, at Merrill Auditorium. 
• The Portland Youth Corps is accepting applications for its fall session. The Portland Youth Corps promotes personal and professional growth through community service, environmental stewardship, and hands-on conservation opportunities within Portland's beautiful parks and green spaces. Apply by September 11.
• Site improvements to the parking lot area at Riverton Trolley Park began August 3. The Reiche Playground Renovation Project is also now underway.
• A Portland MyRec account is the key to all recreation programs in Portland! Create your account household today so you can be ready to register for programs/activities, reserve facilities, access aquatics, and more!
• Safety Alert: Union Branch Multi-Use Pathway Under Construction. Please be aware that the Union Branch Path Trail is still an active construction site.

CITY STAFF & JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• Congratulations to our July Employee of the Month, Kaela Gonzalez! She is recognized for her exceptional work ethic and unwavering positivity as a Program Coordinator on our Housing and Economic Development team.
• Our City Historic Preservation team was recognized by the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions with the 2026 Best Practices in Technology Award! Watch the award video shown during the ceremony! Our team accepted the award at the July 2026 Commission Excellence Awards Celebration, at the organization's biennial conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
• We’re hiring a Community Engagement Coordinator to join our Communications & Digital Services Office, and a Housing Program Specialist in our Housing and Economic Development Department.
• We are hiring across several departments, with a variety of open positions: healthcare roles (RNs/CNAs), trades workers, before and after-school recreation counselors, lifeguards, 911 dispatchers, community health workers, and more. Come make a difference with us! Our wellness benefits are award winning.