Applications Are Open for Nominating a ‘Slow Street’

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: A speeding car finds its way onto a quiet residential street as a child darts between cars to fetch a ball or a pet from the street.

Today, with more people wearing masks and keeping their social distances while walking or biking, either to work or for exercise, the potential for danger to pedestrians, young and old, only increases.

With that in mind, the city’s Transportation Department is urging people to simply slow down, look out for one another, and nominate a street to get one of their “Slow Down” workhorse signs placed at either end.

City transit officials want the public’s help in identifying “Slow Streets” that are comfortable for walking and biking where they can place Slow Streets signage, part of the department’s Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan.

Slow Streets are not closed streets, transportation officials explain.

“Residents needing to leave and return home, delivery trucks, necessary and emergency traffic will not be blocked, but reminded to look out for other residents on foot or on a bike.

“Slow Streets are for local residents only and not intended as gathering places,” transportation officials write. “This is a program to promote recreation at safe distances. Instances of improper use such as parties and gatherings will result in the removal of Slow Streets.”

As a result, only a handful of streets in each part of the city will be chosen for the program. In fact, most residential streets will not be chosen.

“We learned through trying to place signs on as many streets as we could that not all streets are comfortable for recreation. We need your help to make this a sustainable program,” city officials wrote.

If you are interested in nominating your street as a “Slow Street,” visit

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/transportation-improvements/slow-streets/#slow-streets-application.

Also check out the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition on Twitter @PasadenaCSC, and visit  htps://www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/transportation-improvements/slow-streets for more information.