Batavia yard-sale campaign urges drivers to slow down

Batavia is reminding you to ease up on the gas pedal when driving on side streets.

It is starting a "Slow Down Batavia" campaign, by giving people signs to put up in their yards.

The yellow signs will be available Thursday. The city is spending about $2,000 to get 500 of them, according to city administrator Laura Newman.

They will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Batavia Police Department, 100 N. Island Ave.; the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave.; and the Batavia school district headquarters, 335 W. Wilson St.

People will be asked to display them from Aug. 15 to Sept. 7, then take them down until next spring, when school lets out for summer. People can store the signs themselves, or have the city do it.

"The likelihood is if somebody is driving through our neighborhood, they probably are one of our neighbors," Newman said.

Feedback will be collected by email at slowdown@cityofbatavia.net. It also asks people to use the hashtag #slowdownbatavia if they post about it on social media.

Newman suggested the sign campaign earlier this summer after some residents complained about fast traffic on their street. She had seen the signs in other towns.

"My kids live here. Your kids live here. Let's slow down and make sure everybody is safe," Newman said.