University of New Mexico Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) and Office of Campus Planning and Development (OCPD) remind the UNM community that Redondo Drive is an easy way to travel around campus, but it is not the final lap of the Indy 500. PATS and OCPD recently implemented a movable radar-enabled speed sign to encourage motorists to slow down while driving on campus.

"Our campus is multi-modal," said Robert Nelson, PATS' interim director. "We want all individuals on campus to get to and from their destinations safely. Motorists are of particular concern because of the higher speeds they can travel compared to pedestrians and bicyclists."

The awareness initiative is in response to a spring 2011 Associated Students of UNM joint-resolution urging the campus community to implement additional signage to ensure pedestrian safety. The project involves periodically moving the radar-enabled sign to key locations on campus to remind drivers of the need to slow down.

If the maximum speed limit of 20 miles per hour is exceeded, the display flashes rapidly. The sign is advisory in nature and is not intended to enforce traffic regulations. Since its implementation in late September, the sign has already had a direct and visibly calming influence on traffic behavior.

"The UNM Comprehensive Master Plan recognizes that the central campus is primarily a pedestrian campus," said Michael Polikoff, UNM university planner. "Utilizing traffic calming techniques designed to lessen the impact of automobiles by slowing them down will help build human scale environments friendly to people on foot.  Awareness of traffic speeds from a radar speed device is an effective tool for achieving this end."

For more information contact Danielle Gilliam, Program Specialist, 277-0461, dgilliam@parking.unm.edu.

Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; email: bhendrix@unm.edu.