City announces street sign design contest

Effort is part of city’s recent traffic safety initiative

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The city is calling on residents to come up with a creative slogan for its new traffic safety initiative, after the City Council voted last month to lower the city’s speed limit to 25 miles per hour on side streets.

The winning slogan will be displayed on new signs at all five entrances to the city. Residents must submit their entry to comment@longbeachny.gov by May 1 and officials say the new signs will be up by the summer.

Finalists will be selected by city officials, and residents will have the opportunity to vote on their favorites on the city’s website. The winner will receive a family beach pass for the 2015 summer season. There are no restrictions, such as length, on the slogans and the city is encouraging residents to be as creative as possible, officials said. The volume of submissions received will determine how many finalists will be selected for residents to vote on.

“The contest is promoting the fact that we’re very cognizant of traffic safety here in the city of Long Beach,” said Gordon Tepper, the city’s director of communications.

Submissions are already coming in, and the city is encouraging civic groups and schools to get involved and further promote the contest.

The recently announced traffic safety initiative also includes synchronizing the traffic lights on Park Avenue, and addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns. The resolution to lower the speed limit was passed after the Long Beach Police Department recently conducted a traffic speed study along Park Avenue and discovered that 15 out of every 100 drivers currently speed, among other findings.

“Public safety is always our top concern, and that is why we commissioned the traffic study,” Councilman Anthony Eramo said in a statement. “Studies have shown, and our traffic study consultants recommend, that lowering the speed limit by five miles per hour can have a serious impact in reducing the number of traffic-related injuries and deaths in Long Beach.”

The slogan contest is designed to get residents involved and thinking more about traffic safety.

“The council passing legislation was a significant measure,” Tepper said. “Now it’s important to put the message out and promote it.”