'Slow Down Lafayette': New Program Steers City Toward Safer Streets

LAFAYETTE, CA — The City of Lafayette announced the use of new high-tech equipment as part of its "Slow Down Lafayette" campaign launched this week to make the streets safer for people of all ages who walk, bike, roll and drive through the city.

At the heart of the new program are several new portable speed display signs and trailers. In addition to providing passing motorists with data about their speed through the real-time dynamic message display, the equipment also provides police and city traffic engineers with traffic volume and speed information, and helps support the city’s other traffic calming efforts, city officials said.

The city can then use the data to identify high-risk locations and prioritize those areas to improve safety by targeted speed education, enforcement and possible roadway engineering.

"Speed is the most critical factor that affects the severity of injuries, and while enforcement is part of how we reduce speed, our increased focus will be on real-time awareness for drivers and community education,” said Lafayette Police Chief Ben Alldritt.

As part of the campaign, "Slow Down Lafayette" signs will temporarily go on display around town.

Further, the city launched a new webpage, Lovelafayette.org/slowdown, that provides information to the community about the data collected, as well as safety tips for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

"Our goal is to decrease speeds and increase awareness, reducing the number of crashes on local streets," said Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri. "We’re all in this together, so we are asking everyone who drives through Lafayette to commit to driving at or below the posted speed limits."

The "Slow Down Lafayette" campaign is part of the city’s broader "Vision Zero" effort to improve road safety, city officials said. In November 2021, the Lafayette City Council unanimously adopted Vision Zero — a global initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.

Other citywide initiatives that promote slower speeds include the Local Road Safety Plan, Rapid Implementation Plans around schools, and the city’s recent update to its traffic calming policy.