Contact (Media Only): Erik Linden (202) 671-2004

(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) today launched a new traffic calming project—the DC Neighborhood Pace Car.

The Pace Car program encourages residents to take responsibility for the impact of their own driving while sending a message about traffic calming to other drivers. The event was held at Fort Reno Park, NW, and featured participation from three local schools—Janney, Lafayette and Murch DCPS elementary schools.

“This is a fantastic project that DDOT and WABA are embarking on,” said Emeka Moneme, Director of DDOT. “We are always looking at innovative ways to calm traffic and it’s my hope that residents across the District sign up to become part of the pace car program. It is in everyone’s interest to sign up.”

About the program:

Drivers each sign a “Pace Car” pledge and affix a “DC Neighborhood Pace Car” sticker to their rear car window.  The sticker serves as a symbol that the driver is a resident taking part in a community-based traffic calming effort. The driver also commits to driving within the posted speed limit on city streets. DDOT and WABA devised the project following best practices research into successful pace car programs in cities such as Atlanta, GA, and Palo Alto, CA.

“A three mile car trip at 40 mph takes 4.5 minutes.  At 25 mph it takes seven minutes.  But a pedestrian hit by a car going 40 mph has a 90 percent chance of dying, while a pedestrian hit at 25 mph has a 80 percent chance of living,” said Eric Gilliland, Executive Director of WABA. “I think we can all find the extra time to help create a street environment that is safer for our families, our friends and our neighbors.”

The purpose of the program:

• To encourage drivers to drive the legal speed limit on neighborhood streets;
• To encourage driver awareness of the neighborhoods and not just the road through the neighborhoods;
• To raise awareness that motorists share the roads with people walking and cyclists, and to promote courteous habits.

For more information please visit www.waba.org/pacecar.