The History Behind SlowDown4Families.Com    As a newcomer to Charlotte searching for a home, I learned Charlotte’s beautiful neighborhoods have distinct personalities, most have a neighborhood park and all have friendly residents in a wide range of ages and backgrounds.  It did not take long to notice another attribute shared by Charlotte neighborhoods…speeding traffic.  No neighborhood is immune. Uptown, Southpark, Plaza Midwood, NoDa, Mathews, Elizabeth, Old Providence, Sherwood Forest, Beverly Woods, Ballentyne, Myers Park, Dilworth, and others have not found a way to prevent drivers from speeding in their neighborhood.   I gathered statistics of pedestrian injuries in Charlotte neighborhoods and was startled to see the number has been increasing significantly each year. The injuries and deaths are not limited to children. While children are the largest percentage, the victims include active seniors out for doctor-recommended exercise, couples on their way to dinner at a neighborhood pizza parlor, avid joggers and cyclists, people going to festivals or special events, mothers with strollers and people just like me, a pet owner that enjoys taking my dog for a walk.   My next step was contacting the Charlotte Department of Transportation to learn what services or programs they offer neighborhoods to combat the problem. The CDOT was extremely helpful, but I learned the majority of Charlotte’s neighborhoods must go through the lengthy process of applying for programs, such as speed bumps and traffic circles, and will eventually be told their neighborhood does not meet the criteria required to qualify. If a neighborhood does not qualify for CDOT services there is nothing else available to help.  I felt I needed to do something, so I worked to create Slow Down 4 Families.     I have since learned that a large number of Charlotte residents want to take action in their neighborhoods, so I am making it available on this web site.  Slow Down 4 Families is an effective, professionally produced, out-of-the-box, public awareness program you can immediately use to create awareness and begin to eliminate speeding traffic in your neighborhood.  I hope you will join me and others in taking action to eliminate the single-largest threat to our families’ safety. Connie Echols  Connie Echols, Executive Director SlowDown4Families.com