Automobile traffic dominates the built environment of our urban cities. It not only rules the road by means of infrastructure, but also with the weight and velocity of its many parts. With the infrastructure green light (pun!) and the freedom to careen at unmatchable speeds, the United States road is discriminating and an overall attack on non-motorize accessibility. Some may argue that the roads are made for cars, thus you do not witness the automobile infiltrating sidewalks or bike lanes. It is true that the road was primarily designed for the car, though carbon-neutral and more vulnerable modes must safely access them as well. The path of the automobile is pervasive and crosscutting, marginalizing all other forms of transportation such as walking, wheeling, and biking.
Traffic calming, which is “the process of slowing down traffic so that street environment is safer and more conducive to pedestrians, cyclists, shoppers, and residential life,” is mostly implemented through physical alteration of roadways (Newman and Kenworthy, as cited in Wheeler and Beatley). The notion of traffic calming is inherently at odds with many daily commuters. These calming measures can add to congestion and travel time for motorists. Although the measures seem like an attack on the personal automobile and other motorized vehicles, they are simply making the streets safer and more appropriate for non-motorists. This leveling of the playing field may further inconvenience for drivers, but it certainly enables the convenience of other modes.
In the name of accessibility, here are some of the ways that transportation planners are developing strategic designs to calm the incessant buzz of traffic in our communities:
Textured Pavement
Source: Construction Photography
Chicane (or S-Shaped Diverter)
Source: Richard Drdul, Flickr
Neck-Down (or Choker)
Source City of Richmond
Speed Bump (or Speed Hump)
Source: City of Lynnwood
Bulb-Out
Source: Calm Streets Boston
Other traffic calming tools and methods include adding bike lanes, narrowing the number of street lanes, and simple landscaping designs (e.g., planting trees on roadsides). The following video further describes common traffic calming measures:
According to Newman and Kenworthy, slowing traffic with the use of traffic calming mechanisms has many benefits: reduction in traffic accidents, better air quality, less noise pollution, increased sense of community, and decrease crime rates.
Unfortunately, traffic calming measures are not flawless. There are also a number of disadvantages associated with these structures. Traffic congestion and public outcry can result if the municipal governments that implement the measures do not effectively socially market the new barriers. Unaware drivers are likely to make illegal moves and endanger the lives pedestrians and cyclists (e.g., veering into bike lanes). The demand for personal automobile use will rise during the winter season and regular adverse conditions, and traffic calming measures can catalyze congestion. Also if the calming measures are not widely implemented traffic will simply be diverted to other roadways. Lastly, as discussed in class, emergency vehicles can be delayed due to measures such as speed bumps, endangering public safety. The following video touches upon that point:
Personally, I am a big fan of traffic calming. It makes drivers more aware and allows them to operate their vehicles at a safe speed. I do not believe, however, that traffic calming is a sole solution to accessibility. Traffic calming should be couple with other transportation measures such as 4-6 ft. wide sidewalks and efficient public transit.
In my neighborhood in Indianapolis, there was a controversial traffic calming scheme put into place on 62nd Street, a four-lane roadway going in and out of Broad Ripple Village. For those of you unfamiliar with Indianapolis, Broad Ripple Village is an area akin to Kirkwood Avenue, a cultural hub lined with bars, boutiques, and restaurants. Members of the public approached The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability to scale 62nd Street from a four-lane street to a two-lane street with the addition of two bike lanes, one on each side of the street. After months of construction, the street was narrowed and the bike lanes were complete. What you think would have been a celebratory moment for my neighborhood turned into communal backlash. According to Kristen Trovillion of The Office of Sustainability, the Department of Public Works received frequent complaints for weeks. Traffic was backed up for blocks. Drivers did not understand how to navigate the road without veering into the bike lanes. It was a mess. Eventually, the area learned to live with the lanes, but not without a struggle.
It is funny how sustainability measures can sound great on paper, but when implemented in communities, neighbors tend to backlash at the reality of the change. The reality is that the future of sustainability holds a world of sacrifice, and our readiness and willpower to change our habits is very important.
Of course traffic calming measures look great on paper, but while looking at the pictures of some strategic designs, I am not so sure. It may just be me, but designs such as the chicanes and the neck down seem like they could create more traffic accidents. My immediate thought was the outcome of driving on roads with those traffic calming devices when it is icy, or worse with a drunk driver. I know these are out of the box situations, but they do occur, and with these devices there is definitely a higher chance of a collision. This is especially true for those who have not been exposed to the devices. Exposure could help alleviate some of the problems though.
ReplyDeleteIn Urban Forest Management we talked a lot about how tree lined streets can reduce the speeds at which people drive. Trees on the side of streets also create a sort of safety barrier that separates pedestrians from cars. It seems like planting trees in the public right of way can result in traffic calming without altering the road and would probably come with less backlash from the public. Not to mention make streets more attractive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allie regarding the tree-lined streets being a good solution. As a bicyclist, some of the other traffic-calming measures cause just as much frustration to me as they do to car-drivers. Textured pavement? Ouch. Speed humps? Unless they are the very gently sloped variety, they make traveling with a heavy load even more difficult.
ReplyDeleteThe bike boxes in Brooklyn and Portland are great. Those lanes need to be implemented in all high automobile traffic areas to increase safety for bicyclists. In order for traffic calming mechanisms to be effective and to gain likeability from drivers they must not be overly implemented. If these mechanisms were put everywhere drivers may get aggravated and exhibit road rage. If just the right amount of traffic calming mechanisms are put in place then they will have greater levels of acceptance. I really don’t love those islands in the middle of the street or those huge speed bumps but I understand their purpose and value. And I surely wouldn't want to encounter them on every street. Traffic calming measures should not interfere with emergency vehicles routes. But no one can predict where and when there will be accident. These notions should definitely be taken into consideration when implementing calming measures. I liked the visuals you included too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marguerite, some of these traffic calming measures look like they could increase accidents between motorists and cyclists. A few of them (Chicane, Neck Down, Bulb Out)seem like they would require perpendicular movement across the road by cyclists to navigate the road contour, which could put cyclists and motorists in closer proximity. This is usually when errors are made and accidents happen. I've found that it is safest to hold your line when riding on the road to establish your position for cars to work around. Some of these methods might interfere with that. Interesting stuff though,I'd like to learn more.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jeff and Marguerite on this one. People in general are bad enough at driving, and that's sober. The ideas of traffic calming are fine enough, but those pictures are idealized newish. Give it five or more years and how visible is a bulb-out before it's too late? I drove to the west side of town the other week, I'm not sure what they're called, but as best I can describe them is a mini roundabout where the first came out of nowhere with no signs and I had no idea what was going on with the road. Wasn't sure if it became a one way, or I was supposed to stop and wiggle through or what was going on. Did I stop? No, it was too late for me to stop fully in time to not hit the roundabout or the curb, so I hit a bit of both. I like to think of myself as a good driver, but any traffic calming tool needs to not only be properly implemented but even more properly maintained. And I think education of the different kinds would be useful somehow, though I'm still not sure how I was supposed to circle around that small area...
ReplyDeleteAnother issue with some traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes is the problem they create with snow removal. I imagine it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to efficiently maneuver a snow plow through the chicanes on W 3rd Street. In the Bloomington Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program it states "Snow Removal: Chicanes shall be designed to minimize the accumulation of snow piles and trash in the gutter interface between existing curb and gutter and chicane" but that doesn't really address the issue of how narrow the street becomes and how it may create problems for snow removal. (http://bloomington.in.gov/media/media/application/pdf/7383.pdf)
ReplyDeleteLike you mentioned, there are advantages and disadvantages to traffic calmers. While it does make drivers lower their speed limit, it can be pretty frustrating if overdone. The chicane in Bloomington slows drivers down a little too much and a lot of people would try and avoid the road. What about during rush hours? and people who are in a hurry or just not as careful as they should be?
ReplyDeleteAddison - thanks for some great insight into traffic calming. I agree that it's great in theory - but in execution it has a long way to go! I was in Madison, WI this weekend where they have made great strides to be a walk/bike friendly city. I always walked as an undergrad, and didn't have any issues. There are lots of ped-malls, trails, sidewalks, etc. But, I was a driver this weekend. The first thing I noticed were the relatively new bike lanes on Park Ave & University Ave -- these are the main, busy roads that cut through campus. I was glad to share the road with cyclists, but their lanes were in the middle of the road and kept shifting/changing! I was petrified to hit a cyclist simply because I didn't know which lane was mine from block to block. To give you an idea: http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/lanes/images/DSCF0015busbike.jpg. DC has done a great job trying to find a 'road-sharing' alternative (not necessarily traffic calming), by placing street parking in the middle of the street and the bike lane between the sidewalk and the parked cars, but this creates confusion when turning, for pedestrians, etc. As you mentioned, in many places, the solution is political unpopular so I don't have a lot of faith that these initiatives will be implemented on a widespread basis, but I am curious to see which tactical techniques do become more popular or tolerable. Oh behavior change...
ReplyDeleteSome of this can be solved without calming devices. Putting more police in to give speeding tickets and putting in more sidewalks tend to be less intrusive than speed humps and such, but succeed in keeping people from cutting through.
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traffic calming devices