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5/18/2004
Press Conference to kick-off "Watch the Road" Campaign - 5/18!
Due to the support of public, private and non-profit agencies,
participants thoughout Los Angeles county will embark on an 18-month
program to reduce roadway related deaths and injuries this month.
The campaign hopes to inform motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians
about "good roadway user" behaviors to save lives and improve traffic
mobility.
Press
Conference - 5/18/04 - Wilshire Blvd and Veteran Ave - 2:00 p.m.
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6/3/2004
L.A. Chapter of Women's Transportation Seminar spotlights "Watch the Road" Campaign!
In WTS's LA Spring 2004 issue of Tracks, Wayne K.
Tanda, General Manager of LADOT, and Luz Echavarria, Watch the Road's
project manager, along with Doug Failing of Caltrans District 7,
discuss a new traffic safety and education campaign.
For more, visit: "Driven to Distraction"
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6/9/2004
From OTS grant to countywide support
The law enforcement community answered the call to support the countywide public traffic
safety campaign by uniting behind a common theme to "Watch the Road." The Los Angeles based fleet of
CHP vehicles, LAPD vehicles, Santa Monica PD vehicles, and County Sherriff will all be sporting new "WATCH THE ROAD" bumper stickers starting 5/18.
Look for them on a patrol car in your community!
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6/9/2004
"Watch the Road" Campaign gets $1.5M in traffic safety money
Nearly $75M in federal traffic safety grants were
allocated to California, with WTR getting $1.5 million, officials
announced Monday 6/7. The grants, administered through the California
Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), will fund programs that combine
education, prevention, and enforcement designed to reduce traffic-related
injuries and fatalities. The $1.5M WTR grant can be used starting
October 1, 2004 to purchase media air time to get the message out
and to continue to build a coalition of partners in the LA region
to combat traffic-related collisions of pedestrians, cyclists, and
motorists.
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6/15/2004
CHP delivers PSA to both English and Spanish traffic-listening audience
CHP officers who report on morning traffic conditions
for Fox 11 News and Channels 34 and 52 (Spanish) have begun announcing "WATCH THE ROAD" as they close their broadcast. You can catch one
of two messages such as "Slow down, your family is waiting for you"
or "It's better to lose one minute of your life than your life in
one minute" between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. as you get ready
in the morning. Additionally, these PSA messages can be heard during
your morning and afternoon commutes on the following partner radio
stations:
KFRN-Family Radio 1280 AM
KDIF-La Diferencia 1440 AM
KWRN-Radio
Mexico 1550 AM
KCZN-La Mejor 96.7 FM
KIRN-Radio Iran 670 AM
Thanks
to our Enforcement and Media partners!
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7/7/2004
WTR Campaign gets Cooperation from the Taxi Industry
The Taxicab Regulation Division of LADOT sent a letter
to the taxicab industry requesting the cooperation and voluntary
participation in the WATCH THE ROAD Traffic Safety Campaign. Taxicab
Administrator Tom Drischler has received a positive response from
several companies in support of the program. Numerous taxicabs franchised
to operate in the "City of Angels" can be spotted voluntarily displaying
th WATCH THE ROAD message. The City is not sure how many of the
2,300 fleet will participate, but they are in good company: California
Highway Patrol (CHP) has also placed the stickers on their 2,300
LA based fleet starting July 2004.
To view owner/driver Jagveer Singh Sidhu and Taxicab
Administrator Tom Drischler in front of one of the first taxis to
display the WTR Bumper stickers, visit: www.watchtheroad.org/taxi_imge.htm
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7/29/2004
"Watch The Road" gets a boost from "Watch The Water" to get the Safety message out
The County of Los Angeles Fire Department's award winning web site, watchthewater.org provides information
on locating county beaches; providing real time 360-degree views of water and beach conditions; a calendar of events; the ability to check out beach amenities; etc. all on one convenient site. "Watch the Water" is an effort by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in a collaboration with
other agencies, to aid in staffing beaches, tracking rescue activity,
creating public education materials, and collecting environmental data for use in pursuing the goals of protecting and educating the public,
safeguarding property and preserving the environment.
To view the Los Angeles County Coastal Monitoring Network, visit:
www.watchthewater.org
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8/12/2004
Garcetti to Unveil Traffic Safety "Zipper Ad" at Hollywood and Highland
Los Angeles Councilmember Eric Garcetti joins Operation Traffix to unveil a new public service ad
on the electronic "zipper screen" at Hollywood and Highland on August 12, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. Cars or pedestrians stopped at the intersection can watch the spot reminding drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike that they should slow down, and "Watch The Road" since loved ones may be waiting for them at home.
The intent of the message is to bring attention to the primary cause of traffic related fatalities: SPEEDING.
To view a rendering of the ad, visit: www.watchtheroad.org/images/zipperad.avi
(Requires Real Player or Windows Media Player)
Countdown and premiere of message - 8/12/04 - Southeast corner of Hollywood Blvd
and Highland Avenue - 1:30 p.m.
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9/30/2004
The County of Los Angeles and Cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena and West Covina join forces to focus on Pedestrian Safety via united bus
shelter and bench ads
Recognizing that traffic safety crosses jurisdictional
boundaries, the County of Los Angeles and three cities in L.A. unite
to deliver traffic safety messages on over 600 bus shelters and
benches. The ads were made possible through the support of OTS,
L.A. County, the participating cites, Norman Bench Advertising and
Viacom Decaux.
On 9/30/2004, the Florence Firestone Community Enhancement
Team, in conjunction with the County Board of Supervisors, will
unveil 70 ads for the Watch the Road program in the Florence Firestone
Community. This effort is part of a larger effort by the County
of Los Angeles Department of Public Works (LACoDPW) to place over
400 bus shelter ads throughout the county unincorporated area to
raise public awareness in conjunction with their overall program
on pedestrian safety and mobility. The ads will pop up next in East
Los Angeles and then throughout the region.
The 6:00 p.m. unveiling at Florence and Firestone
will also have members of the local Chamber of Commerce, CHP and
other community leaders in attendance.
On the same day, the City of Los Angeles, through
the generous support of Norman Bench Ads, will place 200 messages
on bus benches citywide reminding bus patrons and others to "Look
before you cross. Cars may not see you. Watch the Road." These catchy
yellow and black signs pay tribute to the fact that although pedestrians
are involved in only 7% of traffic collisions citywide, pedestrians
tragically account for over 40% of traffic related fatalities! Additionally,
through the generous support of Viacom Decaux, 100 bus shelter ads
will sport the same message on bus shelters in the City of Los Angeles.
The Cities of Pasadena and West Covina also took steps to highlight
this public safety issue by placing five ads each in their city.
Printing for the ads in these cities were all paid by a grant to
the City of Los Angeles from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Click here to see
sample ads AND E-mail us if your city
can participate!
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10/13/2004
Donations to the Watch the Road Campaign are now tax deductible
The much-respected California Community Foundation
(CCF) has been selected to be the Fiscal Sponsor of OPERATION TRAFFIX
and the Watch the Road campaign. Tax deductible donations for the
Watch the Road program may now be sent to CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
at 445 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 3400; Los Angeles, CA 90071-1638,
Attn: Operation Traffix or "WTR." Among other things, CCF will issue
a receipt to the donor for contributions of $250 or greater, monitor
the WTR program to ensure adherence to program objectives and guidelines,
and annually certify that the WTR program is in good standing. For
over eighty years, CCF has served the current and perpetual charitable
intentions of Southern California residents. CCF currently administers
more than 1,200 endowment funds with a combined value exceeding
$650 million. Their hallmark features are stability and flexibility
to the needs and wishes of donors.
For more on CCF, or to make a donation, please visit
www.calfund.org
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10/30/2004
CONTACT
US - TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER
A new toll-free phone number has been installed for
your convenience in contacting us. We'd like to hear from you about your participation
in the WTR program, or to let us know how we can help you in getting
this vital public safety message out to your community or workplace.
Toll Free: (866) 580-5280
Local: (213) 580-5470
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12/9/2004
UCLA Vanpool Program Trains over 400 Vanpool Drivers on Traffic
Safety Incorporating Themes Developed by WTR
The Watch the Road Program extends its best wishes
to the UCLA VANPOOL PROGRAM as it celebrates its 20th Anniversary!
Almost 200 well wishers gathered at UCLA this morning (12/9/04)
to recognize UCLA for its noteworthy achievement as a leader in
providing commuter transportation options.
The UCLA Vanpool Program serves over 1,500 full time
riders and another 500-700 part time riders. Due to the existence
of this program, it is estimated that 8,104,000 passenger vehicle
trips have been removed off congested roadways to date. Other notable
achievements include the following: 15,354,000 fewer gallons of
fuel used; 106,769 tons of carbon dioxide, 3,211 tons of carbon
monoxide and 343 tons of nitrogen oxides NOT emitted into the air!
UCLA operates vanpools serving more than 80 communities,
including 18 to Antelope Valley; 17 to Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena;
9 to the mid-city; 11 to Orange County; 6 each to Riverside and
San Bernardino counties; 6 each to the San Fernando and San Gabriel
Valleys; 12 to Santa Clarita Valley; 14 to the South Bay and 16
to Ventura County. Vanpools are a great alternative to driving alone,
and UCLA Vanpoolers ride in a deluxe UCLA van.
UCLA takes the responsibility of training the volunteer
Vanpool drivers seriously, reinforcing common sense messages of
traffic safety, and emphasizing specific issues in traffic safety.
Watch the Road is proud to count UCLA among its partners.
For more about the Vanpool program at UCLA, please
visit: www.parking.ucla.edu/CAR/vanpool.htm
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5/3/2005
LA Dodgers support campaign to promote traffic safety to its fans in 2005
The LA Dodgers are teaming up with the Watch the Road campaign to
deliver traffic safety messages at their home games in the 2005
season. Ads promoting safe driving, walking and bicycling will be
displayed on the Dodger Vision screen, and the announcer will
remind fans about traffic safety before they depart and get back
in their cars. The WTR campaign complements the LA Dodger's
"Be A Good Neighbor" campaign.
Additionally, the Dodgers will host a pre-game ceremony for the
"WATCH THE ROAD" slogan contest on June 5th, 2005. Over 500 school
children will participate in activities and a slogan contest related
to traffic safety. At a 12:30 ceremony before the home game with the
Milwaukee Brewers, WTR will recognize our supporters and announce the
winners of the traffic safety slogan contest. Come and root for your
school and, of course, the Dodgers!
For the Dodgers 2005 schedule, click here
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6/5/2005
Watch the Road announces winning traffic safety slogans for 2005.
Watch the Road announced the winners of the Watch the Road Traffic
Safety Slogan Contest Sunday, June 5, at Dodger Stadium. Danny Campos,
a 5th grader from Telfair Elementary, won with the slogan, "Don't
let safety take a holiday." The winner of the Spanish slogan, Kimberly
De La Torre, a 5th grader from Miramonte Elementary, created, "Use
tu coco, no dejes que se te apague el foco!"
For the complete article, click here
(pdf).
For awards pictures, click here.
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3/22/2005
Watch the Road Evaluation Study featured on KPCC's AirTalk with Larry Mantle on FM 89.3
"How often do Angelenos run red lights? Do Los Angeles drivers
yield for pedestrians? Do LA pedestrians look both ways before crossing
the street?" These are some of the questions asked by AirTalk's
Larry Mantle. Dan Mitchell, transportation engineer and author of
a Los Angeles study on congestion, joins Larry to share some of
the early observations of this ongoing study about Angeleno's driving
habits. What are some of the bad driving behaviors that you have
noticed? Do you do any of them yourself?
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3/3/2006
Watch the Road is a proud co-sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Watch the
Road campaign is excited to be a co-sponsor of the upcoming LA Marathon,
which will take place on March 19, 2006. The Watch the Road campaign,
in partnership with Telemundo Channel 52, will be airing new public
service announcements that will be broadcast the day of the race.
In weeks prior to the marathon, Telemundo will also run short news
stories and other media coverage regarding the campaign with TV
personality “El Gordo” as the spokesman. A link has
also been posted to our Watch the Road website on the Telemundo
home page. As part of our partnerships with KROQ, KLAX and Telemundo
Ch. 52, they also will be managing booths at the Los Angeles Marathon
and be distributing our educational material
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3/3/2006
Watch the Road PSA's are broadcast on primetime TV and radio.
Watch the Road will be broadcasting our public service announcements
on network television on KCBS Ch. 2 and KCAL Ch. 9. You will be
able to view these PSA’s during the upcoming NCAA Regional
Finals games on March 23-26, the NCAA Quarter-Final Championship
game on March 26, as well as morning and afternoon newscasts. Watch
the Road is also currently broadcasting these PSA’s on four
popular radio stations: KIIS 102.7, POWER 105.9, KROQ 106.7, and
in Spanish on KLAX 97.9. Also, KLAX and KCBS have posted a link
to the Watch the Road website on their websites.
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3/3/2006
Two new Watch the Road messages to be unveiled the first week of
March.
Watch the Road will be unveiling (2) two new messages in the beginning
of March: cell phone safety “It's your life on the line.”
and tailgating “Tailgating causes crashes. Back off.”
These new safety messages can be seen on hundreds of LADOT buses,
Santa Monica buses and on our changeable street message boards.
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7/5/2006
Watch the Road Summer Splash
Watch the Road is excited to be airing two new bilingual public
service announcements (PSA) in mid-June 2006. The two new PSA’s
address bad driver behavior and pedestrian safety. They are impactful,
cutting edge, and hard-hitting and we hope they will bring much
needed attention to this important issue and help change people’s
bad roadway behaviors in order to save lives.
The new PSA’s will air on network television on CBS 2, NBC
4, KTLA 5, KCAL 9 and Telemundo 52 and also on various cable channels
such as MTV, ESPN, Galavision, and others. They will air from June
12 through mid-July 2006 on primetime broadcasting, local news,
entertainment shows and during the 2006 World Cup tournament.
In order to gain a deeper understanding into the public’s
reaction of these PSA’s, Watch the Road has developed a survey
allowing viewers the opportunity to express their opinions, comments
and concerns regarding these PSA’s. Please take a few moments
to fill out this survey by clicking
here.
If you have not had the opportunity to view these PSA’s please
click
here to be directed to the Telemundo LA website where you can
view them both.
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7/5/2006
Watch the Road and Power 106's Powerhouse Concert
Power 106, LA’s #1 Hip-Hop and R & B radio station, is
having their annual summer Powerhouse concert at the Anaheim Pond.
Watch the Road is a proud sponsor of the concert and will be participating
in the day’s events by distributing our collateral material
and promoting safe roadway behaviors. In addition, there will be
a raffle of two bicycle cruisers at the concert to promote bicycle
safety. Please visit the Power 106 website by clicking
here for additional information regarding the concert or the
station.
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8/20/2006
Power 106's 2nd Annual Comedy Fiesta
Once again Watch the Road is excited to be partnering up with Power
106, LA's #1 Hip-Hop and R&B radio station for another big event.
Watch the Road will be a proud sponsor of the 2nd annual Comedy
Fiesta to take place Sunday August 20th at the Verizon Wireless
Amphitheater. Some comedians scheduled to perform are Gabriel Iglesias,
Cheech Marin, Lisa Lampanelli, Kat Williams, and Mike Epps to name
a few. Watch the Road looks forward to reaching the large crowds
that are expected about the importance of traffic safety. For more
information regarding Comedy Fiesta or the station please visit
the Power 106 website by clicking
here.
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9/15/2006
Telemundo Fiesta 16 On September 15-17, 2006 Telemundo
will be sponsoring "Fiestas Patrias," a celebration of
Mexico's Independence. This 3-day celebration will take place at
Salt Lake Park in the City of Huntington Park and will include food,
music, dancing, games and much more. Watch the Road is delighted
to be a sponsor of this exciting celebration. Please come out join
Watch the Road in promoting traffic safety during this weekend of
family fun. For more information please visit the Telemundo website
by clicking here.
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6/20/2006
Public Service Announcement Survey
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will be airing two
public service announcements on television during the months of
June and July 2006. If you have seen either of the following announcements,
please take a few minutes to complete this survey. The information
will assist us in evaluating the quality of our traffic safety awareness
efforts.
Scenario #1 - Kids Playing with Soccer Ball:
A group of young kids are playing with a soccer ball at the park.
The ball is tossed into a nearby street. An 8-year old girl among
the group runs into the street after the ball without looking for
traffic. She is struck by a speeding car.
Scenario #2 - Man Reflecting on Lifelong Driving Behavior:
A man agonizes over hitting a little girl with his car. He reflects
on his driving behavior during three stages of his life -- as a
child peddling a big wheel, a teenager riding a bicycle and an adult
driving a car.
For survey, click
here.
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8/12/2006
Watch the Road Wins an Emmy
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation is thrilled to announce
its nomination and achievement at the 58th annual Los Angeles Area
Emmy's, held on August 12, 2006. Watch the Road's public service
announcement entitled "Laws of Physics" which promotes
bicycle safety, won for Best Public Service Announcement. Los Angeles
Department of Transportation (LADOT) Engineer Ken Husting was Executive
Producer of this PSA and represented LADOT at the evening's ceremonies.
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8/18/2006
Watch the Road's Fall Line-up
As the summer quickly came to an end, Watch the Road (WTR) wrapped
up its summer activities with a bang. WTR closed out the summer
with its successful participation and sponsorship in Power 106’s
Comedy Fiesta, which took place at the end of August. Feeding off
that momentum, WTR was off and running for the month of September.
WTR attended and participated in numerous events including Glassell
Park Community Festival 2006, “Best Behaviors- Wellness Fair,”
LAX Rideshare Fair, and other great community events.
Watch the Road is eager to continue spreading the message of the
importance of traffic safety. Our fall line-up is filled with many
exciting local events that we hope will get the word out and draw
much needed attention to this important issue. One upcoming event
that we are particularly proud to be a part of is the Safety &
Kids Traffic Summit on October 17-19. During this summit professionals
from all over will explore and offer new concepts, programs and
ideas on how to solve traffic problems that cause the needless injuries
and deaths of our children. WTR will share its findings regarding
traffic safety in Los Angeles and the success and accomplishments
of the campaign.
In addition to its participation in these proactive community events,
WTR has distributed an additional 700 free WTR lawn signs to all
council offices in the City of Los Angeles. These free lawn signs,
which state, “Watch for Kids. Watch the Road” are available
free of charge to all residents of the City of Los Angeles, by simply
contacting your local council office.
For more information on our upcoming events, please visit our“Calendar”
section on our homepage.
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5/25/2007
Staying Safe During the Summer
Power 106 broadcasted 13 Watch the Road public service announcements
during Memorial Day Weekend and they will continue to air throughout
the month of June 2007 on cable television. The public service announcements
intend to impact drivers traveling during the holiday weekend and
summer, ensuring that everyone remembers to watch the road during
the busy summer travel time.
To request a copy of our public service announcements in order
to broadcast them, please visit the Request
Materials portion of our site.
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6/8/2007
LADOT Hosts a Walkability Workshop
A Pedestrian Safety Workshop hosted by LADOT is scheduled for June
8, 2007. This workshop is based on a two-day training workshop developed
by the Federal Highway Administration and is designed to increase
the ability of public agencies to promote walkable communities through
land use, transportation planning and community design strategies.
Participants will include commissioners, representatives from the
City Council office, Neighborhood Councils, City of Los Angeles
staff and other local stakeholders.
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6/15/2007
Campaign Nominated for World Leadership Award
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation recommended the Watch
the Road safety-awareness program as a showcase for the City of
Los Angeles' entry in the 2007 World Leadership Award. The Office
of the Chief Legislative Office will review all entry recommendations
submitted by department heads and will report to the City Council
in mid-June with final recommendations.
Check the Top News portion of our site in mid-June in order to
find out more.
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6/30/2007
Watch the Road Received Safe Routes for School Grant
In June, Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) awarded a grant to
LADOT to conduct a pedestrian education and awareness program focused
in West Los Angeles and the Valley. This grant is in support of
the Watch the Road program.
Over 459 applications for infrastructure and non-infrastructure
projects were received. Out of these, DOT was the only one selected
for funding under this program.
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09/30/2007
Watch the Road Lawn Signs Available in September
Starting in September, contact your Council representative’s
office to receive free Watch the Road lawn signs for your front
yard. Signs are two-sided and are approximately 17" x 22".
Please remember to watch for kids and watch the road, especially
during the start of school, both in your neighborhood and throughout
the City of Los Angeles.
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08/04/2007
Think Ahead. Stop at the Red Week, August 4th - 11th
The County and City of Los Angeles are teaming up to promote the
traffic safety campaign, National Stop At the Red Week. It is part
of a national effort by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration
and the American Trauma Society to increase awareness of the widespread
problem of red light running. In 2004, over 900 people were killed
and approximately 176,000
were injured nationally as a result of crashes caused by red light
running.
A kick-off press conference is scheduled for Thursday, August 2,
2007 at 10:00 A.M. at MTA Headquarters, located at One Gateway Plaza
in downtown Los Angeles, CA.
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03/11/2008
LADOT partners with Neighborhood Councils
LADOT is partnering with Neighborhood Councils and making advertising space on
400 buses available to promote events and activities under a program called
"LADOT's Community Calendar."
Transit Services is providing free advertising space on the interiors of our
bus fleet on a first come, first serve basis. Neighborhood Councils will be
allowed five cards per event and may reserve space by filling out a form at
LADOT's website: http://www.lacity.org/ladot.
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03/12/2008
New Traffic Laws 2008
New traffic laws for the state of California went into effect in January,
concerning traffic safety and driver behavior.
Two of these laws will take effect in July: a ban on hand-held cell phone usage by
adults, and a ban on all cell phone or any other "mobile service device" usage for
teenagers.
For a listing of the laws, please visit the California DMV's website at:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/leg/leginfo.htm.
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03/13/2008
City of Glendale Adopts Watch the Road Program
During the past couple of years, the City of Glendale has experienced a spike
in the number of pedestrians hit at intersections. In order to address this problem,
the Glendale Police Department has adopted the City of Los Angeles award winning
"Watch the Road" pedestrian safety messages.
The Glendale Police Department will distribute literature targeting elderly
residents who are distracted while crossing the street and urging them to Watch the
Road when walking. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the
California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
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05/23/2008
Watch the Road Partners With LAUSD
The Los Angeles Unified School District has recently become an
exciting new Watch the Road program partner. LAUSD recently added links to the Watch the Road
website through its Pedestrian Routes to School webpage,
http://www.lausd-oehs.org/saferoutestoschools.asp
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