What is Traffic Calming?







The US Dept of Transportation defines Traffic Calming as the combination of measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users.  Traffic calming consists of physical design and other measures put in place on existing roads to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.




 For example, vertical deflections (speed humps, speed tables, and raised intersections), horizontal shifts, and roadway narrowing are intended to reduce speed and enhance the street environment for non-motorists. 




Closures that obstruct traffic movements in one or more directions, such as median barriers, are intended to reduce cut-through traffic. Traffic calming measures can be implemented at an intersection, street, neighborhood, or area-wide level.

“Road diets” are one approach to traffic calming. Road diets involve a reduction in the width or number of vehicular travel lanes and reallocate that space for other uses such as bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossing islands, left turn lanes, or parking. Safety and operational benefits for vehicles and pedestrians include decreasing vehicle travel lanes for pedestrians to cross, providing room for a pedestrian crossing median, improving safety for bicyclists when bicycle lanes are added, providing an opportunity for on-street parking (which also serves as a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles), reducing rear-end and side-swipe crashes, improving speed limit compliance, and decreasing crash severity when crashes do occur. Imp lementation of traffic calming measures can reduce traffic speed, reduce motor-vehicle collisions, and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. These measures can also increase pedestrian and bicycling activity. More information San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Calming Effect: Apply to Calm Your Residential Street  



Comments

Post a Comment