The Neighborhood Pace Car

From the man who invented the Walking Bus, new comes the Neighbourhood Pace Car:

Residents with a traffic problem in their street are encouraged to sign the Pace Car Pledge. They promise to drive within the speed limit, stop to let pedestrians cross and minimize their car use. They put a Pace Car sticker on the back of their car so that the motorists behind know why they are driving courteously. When there are sufficient Pace Cars on the street, traffic is calmed citywide. Pace Cars are ‘mobile speed bumps’ that get out of the way of emergency vehicles.

The Pace Car is a very important part of an overall strategy to make streets safer and to increase the vitality of neighborhood life. It calms drivers rather than streets and thus reduces the propensity for drivers to take risk. (The Pace Car sticker is an essential element as it informs the drivers behind why the car is being driven within the law. This reduces the chances of them becoming agitated and is part of an awareness raising process.) The Pace Car helps create an environment where adults and children are more likely to walk or use their street for play and socializing.