Traffic Calming Measures

Dheeraj
 What is traffic calming ?
1. Uses physical design and other measures to
improve safety for people.
2. Encourages safer, more responsible driving and
potentially reduces traffic flow
3. The concept is to reduce the adverse impact of
motor vehicles on built up areas.
4. Involves reducing vehicle speeds, providing
more space for pedestrians and cyclists, and
improving the local environment.
 Types of Traffic Calming Measures
1. Passive Traffic Calming Measures
2. Active Traffic Calming Measures
3. Volume Reduction Measures

Image Source : https://goo.gl/images/Zuh8EZ

 Passive Traffic Calming Measures
• Intended to regulate, warn, guide, inform,
and educate pedestrians, bicyclists and
motorists.
• Includes:
1. Education
2. Police Enforcement
3. High-Visibility Crosswalks
4. Permanent Striping
5. Signed Turn Restrictions
• High-Visibility Crosswalks
1. Striped patterns, pavement lights and
signing to improve the visibility of the
crosswalk.
2. This measure is most applicable on local
streets where speed control and
pedestrian crossing designation is desired.

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• Permanent Striping
1. It is used to create narrow lanes, which
give the impression of a narrow street.
This makes the motorist feel restricted,
which helps reduce speeds .
2. Low cost of implementation but may
increase the likelihood of sideswipe
accidents .
• Signed Turn Restrictions
1. To prohibit certain movements at an
intersection
2. Redirects traffic to main streets

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 Active Traffic Calming Measures
• These are the traffic control devices and
roadway design features primarily designed to
slow the traffic
1. Speed Humps
2. Speed Tables or Raised Crosswalks
3. Raised Intersections
4. Speed Cushions
5. Medians
• Raised Intersection
1. A flat-topped speed hump built over the
entire area of intersecting streets at curb
height, creating a flat surface over the
entire intersection area.
2. It is used to discourage cut-through
traffic.

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• Speed Cushions
1. Speed cushions consist of either recycled
rubber or asphalt, raised about 3 inches in
height

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 Volume Reduction Measures
• Volume Reduction Measures are traffic control
devices and roadway design features primarily
designed to discourage residential street cut-
through traffic
• Some common Volume Reduction Measures
include:
1. Diverters
2. Partial Closure
3. Full Street Closure
 Horizontal deflections
Horizontal shifts in the
carriageway are less
effective than vertical ones
in achieving reductions in
speed, however their
impact is significantly
increased when used in
combination with a
vertical shift. Essentially all
horizontal shifts may be
classified as chicanes.
 Road narrowing
Road narrowing may be
considered as another
supportive measure to
vertical deflections. It
cannot be considered as a
speed reducing device in
itself, but it can act as a
reminder to drive slowly
or calmly. combination
with speed tables is an
effective way to increase
their effect
 Central islands
Central islands have only
a limited effect on
reducing speeds unless
combined with another
measure such as a
chicane. They do
however provide useful
pedestrian refuges.
 Traffic calming at junctions
1. Vertical deflections
2. Changes in alignment
3. Reduction of the junction area
4. Islands
5. Special junction forms
 Traffic calming on main roads
The success of main road traffic calming schemes
seems to revolve around creating an improved
pedestrian environment rather than significantly
reducing vehicle speeds.
 EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAFFIC CALMING
MEASURES

1. Speed reduction
2. Accident reduction
3. Air pollution
 Impacts of Traffic Calming Measures
1. Effect on Emergency Vehicle Response Times
• Impacts negatively on emergency vehicle
response because they physically affect speed
and manoeuvring .
2. Noise Impacts
• The noise impact to adjacent residents resulting
from vehicles braking and going over and
around traffic calming devices can have an
impact on the acceptability of these devices by
residents.
3. Increased Maintenance Costs:
• Devices such as speed humps will have to be
reinstalled each time a residential street is
overlaid which will increase these costs.