City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren announced today that the City’s Pace Car Traffic Calming Program will be expanded from a pilot program in Southeast Rochester to a citywide program. The program will improve traffic safety and promote pedestrian-level vibrancy on city streets.
“I think we can all agree that if we promote a culture of responsible driving in our city – a culture of courtesy – we would all be a lot safer,” said Mayor Warren. “It helps us calm the traffic and make our streets safer for pedestrians and bicycles. Safer streets lead to more vibrant streets, which makes it easier to create more jobs, safer, more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities in our schools.”
The Pace Car Program encourages motorists to sign a pledge to drive safely and responsibly and display a Pace Car sticker on the back of the vehicle. By doing so, they are informing the drivers behind them that they will not drive over the speed limit, won’t drive in bike lanes and will yield to pedestrians, among other safe-driving practices.
The program was launched as a pilot in Southeast Rochester in August of 2015 in partnership with Reconnect Rochester and the Highland PlaceMaking Team, two organizations that advocate for pedestrian and bicycle safety and a reduced reliance on vehicle traffic on city streets.
To sign the pledge, motorists can visit www.RocPaceCar.com or visit any of the City’s four Neighborhood Service Centers.
To encourage early involvement, Gary Rogers, owner of Dock Hardware, has donated 50 Highway First Aid Kits, which will be given to the first 50 volunteers to sign the pledge.
The Pace Car Program will complement other traffic-safety measures underway in the City, including traffic enforcement by the Rochester Police Department; and implementation of the Complete Streets Policy, which considers the use of pedestrians and bicycles in the design, maintenance and upgrade of city streets.
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News Media: For more information, contact Deputy Communications Director Donald Starver at 428-7135.