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Traffic Calming
The Process
Through the Traffic Calming Program, the City and residents work together to improve public safety on neighborhood streets. Traffic calming is a method of slowing traffic through physical treatments to streets originally designed primarily for vehicles. The most common examples include speed humps, medians and traffic circles.
The City has a formal process (PDF) for addressing traffic concerns on local streets and any resident can request information about traffic calming for their neighborhood by contacting the Traffic Engineering Division at 467-4360 or by email.
There are numerous traffic calming studies going on concurrently citywide and the amount of time it takes to complete the process varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. Major steps include:
- The kick-off meeting, where residents learn about the program and the options available
- Data collection, which is done by City staff and provided to a study team comprised of neighborhood residents
- Development of a plan to address the issues done by the study team
- A neighborhood vote on the elements of the plan
active traffic calming studies
Traffic Calming Device Categories
| Neighborhood Vote |
Engineering Approval |
Council Approval |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Humps (parabolic / full or split) |
Circles with or without outer rings |
|
| Curb Extensions |
Alternate Parking |
Textured Pavements |
| Lateral Shifts |
General Use Signs |
Chicanes ("S" Shapes) |
| Speed Cushions |
"Psycho Perspective" Controls / Tricks |
|
| Narrowing / Neckdowns |
||
| Adjacent Landscaping / Streetscapes |
||
| Temporary measure |
||
| Traffic Islands |
Landscape Medians
A landscape median is a raised landscaped island located along the center-line of a street that narrows the adjacent travel lanes.
Placed at the entrance of a neighborhood, the median can serve as both a gateway into the neighborhood and a way to slow down traffic.
Traffic Circles
Traffic circles are raised islands, placed in intersections, around which traffic circulates. Circles are used for calming intersections where large vehicle traffic is not a major concern but speed, volume, and safety are problems.
Speed Humps
Speed humps are rounded raised areas of asphalt placed across the roadway. A speed hump provides the most aggressive form of traffic calming and is beneficial in locations where low speeds are desired.
Roundabouts
Roundabouts are one of the most effective intersection control treatments available with the added benefit of calming traffic. Take a look at the Roundabouts page for more information.