Decatur launches pace car program to slow down drivers and prevent pedestrian crashes
Decatur has implemented a pace car program for city vehicles. Residents can also participate by picking up a magnet or sticker at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street.
Magnets and stickers are also available at Decatur Public Works, located at 2635 Talley Street. Anyone can participate in the program. The program aims to promote safer speeds and slow drivers down. Pace car program magnets and stickers serve as visual reminders to all drivers.
All city-issued vehicles would have the pace car magnet or sticker, and with that comes the expectation that the vehicle will travel within the city speed limit or lower, setting the pace for other vehicles on the road.
“You’re essentially making a commitment to be a safe driver, hence, I’m going to be the pace car, and I’m going to model safe driving practices,” City Manager Andrea Arnold told Decaturish after the July 15 city commission meeting.
City leaders are keenly aware of the recent crashes involving walkers using Decatur streets. Since November 2023, there have been several crashes involving pedestrians.
On Nov. 6, drivers hit four pedestrians that day, injuring three pedestrians and killing a fourth, a 16-year-old boy. A driver left the scene on Tuesday, Jan. 9, after hitting a juvenile pedestrian. Two more pedestrians were hit on Jan. 10 at South Candler Street and East College Avenue. Last month, a driver was cited after hitting a teenager in a crosswalk. A driver was arrested in September after striking and injuring a school crossing guard. There was another crash involving a pedestrian on June 19. Decatur Police, however, determined the crash was the pedestrian’s fault and cited them.
Arnold announced her intention to implement a pace car program for city vehicles, including police vehicles, in January as part of various efforts to improve pedestrian safety and slow down traffic in the city. Hopefully, Arnold said, drivers are reminded when they see the pace car magnets that they are in Decatur, and there are pedestrians and bicyclists.
The city’s other initiatives include installing speed cameras in school zones, building new sidewalks and other traffic-calming measures, installing audible crosswalk signals, purchasing three electronic signs notifying drivers of pedestrians, and improving lighting at certain intersections.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has evaluated the speed limits on the four state routes in Decatur, and is considering adding a pedestrian scramble to the intersection of College Avenue and South Candler Street. GDOT has recommended lowering the speed limits and adding “no turn on red” signs at some intersections on state routes in the city.
The state routes in Decatur are College Avenue, Scott Boulevard, South Candler Street, and Clairemont Avenue. A portion of Commerce Drive, between College and Clairemont avenues, is also a state route.
The city of Decatur applied for a grant through Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The city will be awarded about $1.8 million, and there will be a local match of $1 million. In Decatur, the funding will be used to improve Scott Boulevard and implement a complete street approach that could include a 10-foot multiuse path, a vegetation buffer, and a center median in the roadway. The project does not call for reducing the number of lanes on Scott Boulevard.
The RAISE grant fact sheet notes that the project will fund planning activities, including public engagement, developing the concept, right-of-way plans, and final plans, among other documents, for the complete street improvements to Scott Boulevard.
The city is also working on the Safe Streets for All planning process that would incorporate a variety of recommendations related to vehicle and pedestrian safety, including looking into red light cameras. The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding the Safety Action Plan through its Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. SS4A Planning and Demonstration grants help communities develop a comprehensive approach to reducing and eliminating fatal and severe injury crashes on roadways, according to the city’s website.
“The purpose of the SS4A program is to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safety action plan development and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, personal conveyance and micromobility users, and commercial vehicle operators,” the RFP stated.
This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.
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