BIDDEFORD — Concerns about pedestrian safety on Main Street Biddeford have led to the installation of a new planter being used to slow traffic on one section of the street. Depending on public feedback, up to 30 such planters may be installed along Main Street as other improvements in the area are made.

The planter is a traffic calming device. “Traffic calming uses physical design elements to improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists by encouraging safer, more responsible driving,” according to a press release from City Manager James Bennett. “In this case, the placement of the flowers … tends to naturally cause vehicle traffic to slow down and make drivers pay more attention to their surroundings.”

Since the planter was installed for a trial basis at the intersection of Main and York Streets on Tuesday, Public Works Director Jeffrey Demers said he’s received a number of comments. The feedback has been about “50-50” for and against, he said.

Complaints have ranged from “I hate it hate it hate it,” in an email from City Councilor Michael Swanton, to disliking the color and material used, and just not liking it. Others have said they like the planter and there have been a few “thumbs up,” Demers said.

The reason for the planter, Demers said, is that when improvements on Main Street from Alfred to Adams streets were made, bump outs and other protections around crosswalks were removed to make snow removal easier. As a result, he said, he’s seen people drive 35 to 40 mph in the area where the speed limit is only 25 mph.

“This location was selected as a test site for the planter boxes because of how the road widens in this curve, which often encouraged drivers to pick up speed,” said Demers. “The box is placed at about the distance from the sidewalk that a parked car would be, so it doesn’t require drivers to maneuver around it, but it does visually narrow the road just enough to slow them down.”

Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said she hasn’t received complaints about the traffic in the area.

Demers said he and his department was tasked with coming up with a way to lower traffic on downtown Main Street by City Manager James Bennett about a month ago.

He said he and his department “put our heads together here” and came up with the idea for concrete brick planter which is placed on the edge of the street in a no-parking zone

But all are not happy with the planter. Swanton expanded on his reasons why he doesn’t like it. While he said he thinks it’s well made and attractive, “I just don’t believe that it is suitable at the edge of the road.” Other problems  he said include “it does not contrast with the cobblestone that it sets on” and it’s very heavy.

“I’m glad that they tried it,” Swanton said. “I am also glad that they only made one. Back to the drawing board.”

Demers said he was pleased that the supplies for the planter were purchased from local companies and the masons who built it were also local.

The Public Works Department wants to hear citizen feedback on the new measure from both pedestrians and drivers alike. Based on the success of the trial period, which Demers said will last another week or so, and the feedback from the public, additional planter boxes may be installed on Main Street in the downtown.

To provide feedback on the effectiveness of the new traffic calming measure, contact the Public Works Department at 282-1579 or jeff.demers@biddefordmaine.org.

— Associated  Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324, or dmendros@journaltribune.com.