Phoenix Kicks Off Program to Reduce Speeding in Neighborhoods
October 23, 2002
Many Phoenix residents have expressed concerns about vehicles speeding in their neighborhoods. Because of these concerns, the city of Phoenix has agreed to serve as a test site for a model program to reduce those speeds. Known as "Heed the Speed," the program uses a variety of education and enforcement activities to encourage motorists to drive at or below the speed limit. The city of Peoria also is participating as a test site.
"Heed the Speed" is a collaborative effort of the city's Street Transportation and Police departments with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is an expanded version of a program of the same name that was implemented last year in the Arcadia area of Phoenix. Lt. Stan Hoover of the Phoenix Police Department said, "We were pleased with the results we obtained with 'Heed the Speed' in Arcadia and are happy to see the program expanded."
Studies have shown that increased speeds are associated with a higher likelihood of pedestrian crashes, more severe pedestrian injuries and death. Researchers and traffic safety professionals have done a significant amount of work to develop engineering approaches to reduce traffic speeds. There have, however, been few attempts to combine public information and enforcement techniques with engineering changes as a means of achieving greater speed reductions. Mike Cynecki of the Phoenix Street Transportation Department commented that, "We can't use engineering techniques to reduce speeds on all streets because of special needs. For example, some streets are routes for emergency vehicles and therefore aren't candidates for treatments such as speed humps. We hope an enhanced education and enforcement program will be an effective way to reduce speeds on those streets."
In serving as test sites, the two cities have agreed to implement a variety of education and enforcement activities that will be evaluated over a three-month period. "Heed the Speed" uses a variety of communication tools, including door-to-door fliers, yard signs, a neighborhood speed watch program, driver speed feedback signs, newsletter articles, police verbal warnings, radar speed boards/trailers, targeted enforcement, presentations to residents and roadway applications that simulate humps.
The Phoenix neighborhoods participating in "Heed the Speed" include sections of Sweetwater Avenue, Coral Gables Drive, Moon Valley Drive and Clarendon Avenue.
"Heed the Speed" has an evaluation component to determine the effectiveness of the program in reducing neighborhood speeding. If effective, it can serve as a model for other communities that wish to reduce speeding in their neighborhoods. Dunlap and Associates, Inc., a research/consulting firm from Stamford, Conn., will evaluate the program's results. Richard Blomberg, president of Dunlap and Associates, said, "We're pleased to be doing another study in the Phoenix area because of the sincere interest in traffic safety of all the agencies we've worked with here."
Media Contact:
| Mike Cynecki |
602-262-7217 |
