Greenburgh, NY uses a novel approach to slow cars down
A Novel Approach to Safety
Greenburgh, NY uses a novel approach to slow cars with the Traffic Logix SafePace 800 dual speed sign and message board.
The City
Greenburgh, NY is an idyllic town located on the Hudson River in Westchester County, NY. Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is tasked with handling municipal complaints. The most oft received complaint his office receives is regarding speeding vehicles on local roadways. He came up with a brainstorm to tackle the problem and has been trying to enact it for several years.
The Challenge
Vehicles on residential Greenburgh roads were driving at unsafe speeds, endangering themselves, local residents, and bicyclists. First presented by disgruntled residents and then substantiated by the town’s radar recorders, the issue of speeding cars needed to be addressed. In addition, at local street corners where left turns were prohibited, many motorists were ignoring posted signs and making illegal left turns.
Town Supervisor Feiner was interested in a solution that could display the number of tickets police had issued as a way to discourage drivers from speeding. However, most message boards are too large for local residential use.
- Warn drivers of the consequences of their driving infractions by notifying them of the number of tickets issued
- Alert drivers who are exceeding the speed limit by notifying them of their speed while further cautioning speeding vehicles to slow down
- Fit local residential streets with a small footprint unlike the typical large highwaysized message boards
The Solution
The Traffic Logix SafePace 800 sign offers a unique solution that was an exact match for Greenburgh’s challenges. Greenburgh police officer Sergeant Nick Reckson came across the SafePace 800 at a New Jersey area trade show and was excited to use it to simultaneously notify drivers of the number of tickets given while also alerting speeding drivers. Already installed on several Greenburgh streets, the SafePace 800 is being deployed at different locations throughout the town with excellent results.
Unique Dual Performing Sign
The SafePace 800 is a unique rotating sign that functions as both a speed display sign and message board. With a full matrix of LED s available for customization, the possibilities are limitless. The town of Greenburgh programmed the city to show the number of citations that have been issued as cars drive by. When a car exceeds the speed limit by 1-4 mph, the sign is then programmed to display the vehicle’s speed. When a motorist is driving more than 5 miles over the speed limit, the sign flashes strobe lights and displays Too Fast, Slow Down.
Innovative Enforcement
The SafePace 800 sign is being used along with police enforcement to create safer, calmer roads. Periods of police enforcement followed by warnings of tickets issued offers a unique way to slow drivers down and warn them of the possible consequences of their speeding. Coupled with the more traditional speed display and driver responsive messaging, the SafePace 800 is keeping local roads safe.
Portability
Used in conjunction with the Traffic Logix Cruiser LT speed trailer, the SafePace 800 is a portable solution that can be deployed on many streets without necessitating the purchase of myriad signs. In just a short time, the town of Greenburgh has already deployed the SafePace 800 sign on many different streets as well as at a local festival. The one week period of enforcement followed by a week of sign deployment has proven to be a formula that works and can be easily replicated on different streets.
The Benefits
The SafePace 800 sign has been met with enthusiasm by both residents and the police force. Residents have been requesting that the trailer be set up on their streets and have even been volunteering the use of their lawns for the sign. Sergeant Reckson commented, “We love it. If you sit and watch it, you’ll notice drivers instantly slow down. It really grabs their attention. The white strobe has been especially effective for speeding drivers.” The sign is simply reprogrammed before deployment to respond to speed limits and concerns on each individual street it’s placed on. It has been out on patrol around 90% of the time and the benefits have been quickly realized.
- Limits the need for police enforcement – Simply seeing the number of tickets issued in the same location is incentive enough for drivers to slow down
- Community wide solution – The portability of the sign allows the town to use it in multiple locations, further leveraging the capabilities of the sign
- Instant success – The ability to change the sign’s message and activate the strobe lights based on driver behavior has led drivers to improve their driving behaviour immediately
