The folks at Information Display Company are pretty excited about being the first manufacturer to make the FDOT’s approved product list and they attribute this accomplishment not only to superior product quality and features but also to unmatchable customer service. It seems that radar speed signs are rarely off-the-shelf purchases but rather require some level of customization to fit specific needs. Maybe it’s synchronized scheduling capabilities or special message displays – or maybe it’s just help with installation. Turns out Information Display wins top honors for responding to these special requests.

Oh yes, I should mention that the Escambia County speed displays were purchased as part of a “safe routes to school” program set up in the state. I was told by the county’s safety coordinator that not only were the traffic calming effects of the speed signs immediately apparent, but along with added street lighting, sidewalks and other route improvements, they are proving to have a real impact on getting both school children and local residents out of their cars and on their feet – and that’s good news for everyone.

In a 2008 study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, radar speed signs topped the list of safety devices tested in short-term maintenance work zones. The speedcheck signs not only provided the largest speed reduction among the various traffic-calming methods reviewed, but workers reported that when mounted onto a trailer, the installation and removal of the signs was reasonable for even short-term work zone projects.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation first began using radar speed signs in work zones several years ago. Originally embraced by the department’s metro area maintenance crews, the electronic displays helped keep traffic moving at a safe speed while workers filled potholes. As the effectiveness of the speedcheck signs became clear, demand for their use spread. Today, Mn/DOT has expanded the deployment of radar speed signs to include use in construction sites, on ongoing maintenance projects and for other hazardous work zone applications.

“We often mount a radar speed sign along with an arrow board to the tail gate of one of our trucks,” said Marvin Sohlo, work zone standards engineer for MnDOT. “When we use the radar speed signs, it’s easy to observe the break lights come on. On a multi-lane highway, we’ve found average speeds are typically reduced by 8 to 10 miles per hour.”

Reducing speed is a critical issue for those concerned with work zone safety. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) nearly 1,000 people are killed and more than 40,000 injured each year as a result of motor vehicle crashes in work zones. The majority of these cases involve excessive speeds.

“It’s estimated that more than 20 percent of our national highway system is currently under construction,” said Gary ODell, president of Information Display Company, a leading U.S. manufacturer of radar speed signs. “That equates to about 3,000 work zones on U.S. highways alone. You can add thousands more when you include work being done on public streets, around construction sites and on public works projects.”

Tad Blanton is the field operations supervisor for Medford, Oregon Public Works. He manages four crews that work year round on every type of public works project from underground maintenance to structural repairs, paving and concrete work. Concerned with worker safety, he attended a demonstration of a portable radar speed sign presented by IDC, and then signed up for a three-week free rental program.

“Providence brought the radar speed sign to us just when we needed it,” said Blanton. “We were about to begin work on a storm drain repair along the intersection of a busy four lane thoroughfare. We placed the sign about 350 feet before the work. The crew that I had out there said that the difference the display made was absolutely unbelievable. I knew are traditional warning signs wouldn’t of had nearly the same effect.”

In cities across the country, getting local governments to respond to traffic-calming issues can be difficult even during the best of times. It becomes even more difficult when times are tough and municipal funds are short.

There is hope however. Neighborhood groups and private citizens from San Jose, California to Brooklyn, New York are finding strategies that are getting the attention of their local representatives. Whether you’re looking to install a speed bump, erect a speedcheck radar speed sign or just get the police to monitor traffic during peak hours, here are a few tips on how you can increase your chances of being heard.

1.  Join a group. Look to see if there is already an existing sympathetic neighborhood organization you can join. Government reps are much more likely to listen to an established group than to a single individual. There are also federal traffic safety grants that are only available to civic groups and other established organizations.  aaaaa

2.  Create your own group. If there isn’t already an audience for your cause, create one. A good place to start would be existing clubs with sympathetic ears – perhaps bicycle riders, school moms or retail shop owners. 

3.  Get on the web. Starting your own blog or social network site is easy to do. They provide a perfect platform for expressing your concerns and a great way to enlist the help and support of others. Your blog or Facebook page will not only be visible to fans, but can also be shared with local reporters and government officials. As the number of participants and grows, so do your chances of getting heard by those that can make a difference. 

4.   Local programs. Most cities have comprehensive programs in place for evaluating and choosing traffic projects to attack. Processes for selection are usually well defined by city officials, so know the rules and see what you might be able to do to get to the top of the priority list.

5.   Apply for a grant. There are three types of grants generally available for traffic safety programs.  Federal grants, State grants and private grants. Thanks to the Internet researching these options is fairly easy to do. A good place to start is www.cfda.gov, a database of all Federal programs available to state and local governments. 

6.   Come prepared. There’s no easier way to persuade a reluctant official to your side of an argument than to come with the facts and figures that back you up. Learn in advance about the various options available for slowing cars (check out www.stopspeeders.org ). Some are less expensive than others. Some are easier to install. Find out what options your town usually employs and see how effective their results have been in the past. Technologies have changed over the last decade and what might have been the best solution in the past may now be overshadowed by newer, better options.

If you are at all interested in pedestrian safety issues or are looking for possible funding for your traffic calming project, you should know about the federal Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program. The idea is to improve the ability for children to walk or ride their bikes to school. Not a bad idea for a generation that has gotten used to being chauffeured from one place to another. The program offers training, education, events and funding.

Of course, a big part of that funding goes towards grants that states can use to improve traffic safety. I recently came across an article that explained how the city of New Hope, Minnesota did just that.

With an SRTS grant of $31,200 the Minnesota Department of Transportation implemented a variety of actions to slow traffic around its Sunny Hollow Elementary School. Since the school is surrounded by busy streets, few of the students walk or bike to school. During the morning commute, local traffic is congested with parents driving to school in order to deliver their kids to the front of the building.

While a portion of the grant will be used for training and education, the majority of the funds will be used to purchase three radar speed signs. The signs will be installed next to current speed limit signs and are intended to remind drivers to check their own speed and make sure they are within the limits.

Sounds simple, but it works. A variety of government studies have shown that radar speed displays are particularly effective around neighborhood streets and school yards.

Next step? The city plans to apply for additional grants to fund similar projects near other elementary schools in the state. 

Truckee California, Atlanta Georgia and Winnipeg, Canada are a few of the latest cities to deploy radar speed signs in a big way. The growing acceptance of these traffic-calming displays is particularly noteworthy given the correlating decline in the popularity of speedbumps and radar speed cameras.

radar speed signs' increasing popularity

According to Sam Katz, the mayor of Winnipeg, their recent installation of seven solar-powered radar speed signs is “anything but a cash grab,” – one of the major concerns of Winnepeg citizens opposed to speed cameras. Studies show that radar speed signs are highly effective at slowing cars without being obtrusive or financially threatening (spelled t.i.c.k.e.t). Katz made it clear that none of the new displays will take pictures or be used to issue tickets.

In California, the city of Truckee took advantage of funding provided by the federal Safe Routes to School program to buy and install six flashing crosswalk signs and radar speed signs. The displays are being permanently mounted along a busy school route and are intended to be operational in time for the 2010-11 school year.

And then last year, residents of Wildwood, Georgia, a city just North of downtown Atlanta, used the data collected by a radar speed sign to convince local police that there was a major speeding problem around their local school zones. Surprising to many who analyzed follow up data, that the majority of speeders were local residents. This, however, coincides with findings of numerous traffic-calming studies and highlights one of the key reasons radar speed signs work so well. Most speeders are just distracted drivers. Radar speed signs are an unobtrusive way to redirect driver attention to their current driving conditions. And that doesn’t require photos or ticketing.

FINDING THE RESOURCES for traffic safety programs is never a slam-dunk. Given today’s economy it’s gotten even harder. However, while many traffic safety programs are being eliminated, there are still places to find funding.

Therer are still SRTS grants available

One of the most popular and effective national programs offering traffic safety grants comes from Safe Routes To School. Launched in 2006, the program is all about encouraging kids to walk and ride their bikes to school. A first step in making this even plausible is ensuring that the routes they take are as safe as possible – and that means slowing cars. Safe Routes to School has a variety of active programs taking place across the entire U.S. with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Most importantly, they offer grants to qualified applicants. A good first start is visiting their site at www.saferoutesinfo.org.

Even in today’s economy, there are a variety of local, state and federal government programs that may be able to help. These come and go and are often difficult to find, let alone apply for. That’s why Information Display Company has an expert ready to help. If you’re wondering what grants may be available for your specific location, you may want to send an e-mail to IDC’s grant coordinator at grantinformation@informationdisplay.com.

And if you’re courageous enough to do some research on your own, chances are, you’ll stumble across a variety of private corporate grants that may also work. A great example is one offered by State Farm Insurance, which offers charitable contributions to (among other groups) qualified educational institutions and governmental entities. Their grants are focused on three areas: safety, community development and education. You can find out more about the State Farm grant program at http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/grants/cogrants.asp. Specific information about their upcoming 2010 programs should be available around the first of the year.