99 replies to this topic

[Drive25mph.com]

After a noble effort of putting up some yellow and black "Slow Down Folsom" signs around Folsom to announce that we really should slow down a little, I'm left wondering if the effort had any positive results.

Many thanks to those who put out the funds for the signs and worked to get a short article in the Folsom newspaper.

So let me ask, did it work? Did it get people to slow down? If not, what more can be done to get people to slow down on our streets?

If the proclamation by the city of Folsom didn't work and the signs didn't work, what's next?


drive25mph.blogspot.com

[Steve Heard]

Hey Drive

Did it work? Well, it's difficult to say. I know that many people have seen the signs.

Many have thanked us for doing it.

Did people slow down? I don't know. Some have told me that the signs serve as a great reminder.

I did see a guy speed past one sign last night. On another occasion, I was sitting at a red light, and noticed one of our signs. After the light turned green, a van went speeding through the intersection, running a red light.

So, I guess from an awareness standpoint, yes, it did work, for some, and that was the goal. I don't have any stats that would speak to whether or not overall speeds were reduced.

We hope to make this an annual event, and expand it next year.

[LexHillsmom]

I live on Silberhorn and was dismayed to see the cars frequently driving close to 50 - 60 mph even during Slow down Folsom month. I have asked the city to do something about it and they give the same tired answer - they have put up the electronic light and have had policemen out to give tickets to no avail. It angers me as I have two small children whom I would not feel safe to even stand on the sidewalk with the way the cars are whisking by. I am afraid the city will do nothing until someone gets hurt or worse....I suggested speed bumps or more stop signs but all of these ideas were dismissed. I feel like the city doesn't want to do anything about it. They could at least put up signs "Children Playing - Drive 25 mph. ect. like I've seen in other residential neighborhoods. What gives city?

Also, a few days ago I'm driving down Blue Ravine and I look in my rearview mirror to see a huge Suburban bearing down on me at a very high, unsafe speed and then swerves around my car and makes a sharp turn into the Target parking lot and drives like a maniac through there to take a shortcut to get on Bidwell. I ws so pissed I followed the car and was going to get out and give the teenage boy and his companion a piece of my mind - I should have called the police. He was driving WRECKLESS. That kind of behavior makes me livid - it is so careless and blatantly disregarding of others' safety. Gheez.

[doug72]

Bottom line is there are just too many losers in the world....when I hear of people dying in these high-speed "accidents", I am happy that there is one less idiot on the road endangering my safety....

[DrKoz23]

If the proclamation by the city of Folsom didn't work and the signs didn't work, what's next?

Unfortunately some people will never learn... until they kill someone! And even then I don't know if that will change that person.

[Cloud9]

Is that what those signs were for? I couldn't read them ... I was going too fast.

Seriously though, maybe we can interview all the soccer moms that kept blasting past me in their monster trucks and find out where they are headed....

[folsom500]

Is that what those signs were for?  I couldn't read them ... I was going too fast.

Seriously though, maybe we can interview all the soccer moms that kept blasting past me in their monster trucks and find out where they are headed....

I really dont think it had much effect-
First the signs that I saw didnt appear until mid of THIS WEEK- instead of APRIL - Also
They are Tooo short - and having the printing on both sides made them often unreadable if the sun was on them ( and we do live in a sunny city sometimes

I think a more effective program would be more signs put out earlier that are Black and yellow as these were or Black an ORANGE- that said

May is ZERO TOLERANCE Month- SLOW DOWN or PAY

OR

WARNING_ FOLSOM COPS AHEAD _ SLOW DOWN


Cheers
F500

[Drive25mph.com]

I really dont think it had much effect-
First the signs that I saw didnt appear until mid of THIS WEEK- instead of APRIL - Also
They are Tooo  short -  and having the printing on both sides made them often unreadable if the sun was on them ( and we do live in a sunny city sometimes

I think a more effective program would be more signs put out earlier that are Black and yellow as these were or Black an ORANGE- that said

May is ZERO  TOLERANCE Month-  SLOW DOWN or PAY

OR

WARNING_  FOLSOM COPS AHEAD _ SLOW DOWN
Cheers
F500

I really like the idea of the WARNING_ FOLSOM COPS AHEAD _ SLOW DOWN sign. That might get people's attention. This reminds me of the fake speed bump that was created years ago. There were people speeding down Silberhorn that would actually slam on their breaks to avoid tearing out the underneath of their cars. Now that was a hoot to watch until the Folsom cops showed up to chew us out for creating a saftey hazard. They, of course, were not interested in slowing the traffic down by writing tickets.

Seems that people are more interested in the safety of their car than the children who ride bikes near the street.

Keep an eye open for fake signs about cops ahead. Any other ideas.


http://drive25mph.blogspot.com/

[LexHillsmom]

The vast majority of idiot, wreckless drivers that I have noticed are male - usually between the ages of 16-25. There IS a reason they have the highest insurance rates....

Seems to me the City of Folsom should take notice. By all of us posting about how they have done absolutely zilch to end the problem - other than a bunch of double talk - they are vulnerable to a lawsuit should someone get hurt/killed - and we know they would lose.

[Cloud9]

The vast majority of idiot, wreckless drivers that I have noticed are male - usually between the ages of 16-25.  There IS a reason they have the highest insurance rates....

While that's true, at least we can attribute their stupidity to youth. I wonder what we can attribute the Indy 500 soccer mom's to?

[DrKoz23]

Seriously though, maybe we can interview all the soccer moms that kept blasting past me in their monster trucks and find out where they are headed....

I don't think you'd be able to interview them... they are all on their cell phones oblivious to what is going on around them!

While that's true, at least we can attribute their stupidity to youth. I wonder what we can attribute the Indy 500 soccer mom's to?

Maybe its just the mentality they think they are in the biggest SUV on the road and nothing can hurt them. My Honda Civic definitely can't.

[john]

somthing that I think may help your cause... today I was driving to the Giants game and saw a car in the city with a bumper sticker from Lafayette, California - it said "Lafayette is your town, Slow down!". My wife and I thought it was a bit catchier.

The "Slow Down Folsom" month campaigned has baffled those who I have spoken to about it. Most say "so does that mean in June, resume your poor driving habits???"

Just food for thought.

[Steve Heard]

This was only the first of what we plan on having as an annual event. Much thought went into this program. It is not about enforcement, or about false warnings. It's about voluntary compliance.

Do you really think that the cops in this town are uninterested in stopping speeders? I think that, by and large, they do a great job. The fact is there are too few of them, and too many of us. I've been told that Governator has cut more state funding to cities, so that means no hiring more cops, even though our population is growing. Furthermore, as I've told many people, some drivers think the best time to put the pedal to the metal is when they see a cop busy writing someone else a ticket.

As for who is doing the speeding, it's us. It's the inexperienced teenager, the mom running late for taking the kids to school, the business men on their way to meetings, the Bay Area transplants, the the long time residents who are used to speeding down our wide open streets. It's all of us.

Again, this was our first year with the program. Many folks found out about it later in the month, and requests for signs picked up around the 15th.

There are regulations as to the color and size of signs, and we felt the yellow and blue (not black) were best. Yes, I know they can be difficult to read with sun behind them.

This is a project I funded myself, and we'll get it off to a faster start, with better press, and hopefully, more participation from residents next year.

I urge those who are interested to attend one of the Traffic Safety Committee meetings. You'll find that what slows people down are narrower streets, trees close to the road, and a few other engineering tricks. Cops and speed bumps aren'
t as effective as you might think.

The Slow Down Folsom idea was one that we came up with as an alternative. We've received some positive feedback, and some criticism. At least we were willing to try something.

I hope you'll all join us next year, and in the meantime, please don't be one of the speeders.

[Steve Heard]

somthing that I think  may help your cause... today I was driving to the Giants game and saw a car in the city with a bumper sticker from Lafayette, California - it said "Lafayette is your town, Slow down!". My wife and I thought it was a bit catchier.

The "Slow Down Folsom" month campaigned has baffled those who I have spoken to about it. Most say "so does that mean in June, resume your poor driving habits???"

Just food for thought.

Sure, some will say just that. The point of the using one month is that it focuses attention on the problem. Signs left up year round either become an eyesore, or are ignored as part of the landscape. Yes, some will resume their poor driving habits in June, some never stopped their poor driving habits.

I'm trying to reach the ones who get it, and who are willing to be part of the solution.

I am familiar with the Lafayette program. There are many others like it. This was just the first step in moving toward getting people to voluntarily comply with speed laws, and change some behaviors.

[bizdad]

Discussions like this one, repetition and follow-up related awareness programs by the high school, college and employers helps. Implementation of such programs is difficult. What's the priority?

Soccer moms in big SUVs talking on cell phones - this group really made me sad. I thought most of the speeders were younger males - and me when I'm just plain in a hurry. But, Moms who run around all day, doing errands and carting the kids around, act with an apparent sens of entitlement that can be downright scary AND unwary. Cell phones without a handsfree device are dangerous - especially in the hand of a speeding Mom in an oversized vehicle.