Traffic control measures that are frequently referred to today refer to additions to existing streets, like speed bumps and display signs, intended to slow traffic. But the earliest meaning was the planning of an area to keep the flow of traffic at a fair speed. Traffic control is actually a strategy of traffic control that can be built in to an area.
There are roads in desert areas that go on for miles in just about a straight line. Because these roads don’t go thru populated areas and are typically straightaways, the speed limit is high. It is sensible that it’s safer to drive quicker on a road like that than a choked urban street. So when streets are put down in areas where there will be many pedestrians and plenty of traffic, calming is a consideration—or at least it should be—in the design.
One of the finest examples of traffic calming is something many of us drive on frequently—Interstate freeways. Try and imagine the nightmare that traffic would be if instead of exit ramps we were faced with intersections and stop signs or signals. Exit ramps allow traffic to merge in and out of the flow without interruption. While the rest of the traffic may not slow in this example, it’s a method of traffic control.
Some other examples of built-in landscape features that control traffic include things like intersections that are changed from straight-on stops to those with a curve in the road approaching the crossover. Neckdowns, chokers and bulbs are terms for the roadway narrowing at a junction to both give pedestrians more area to attend in and supply a smaller highway for them to cross. This narrowing also serves to slow most traffic.
Narrow streets and broader paths, as well as medians between lanes, all also serve as speed awareness features that can be inbuilt. Speed bumps are always a choice in the design, but more than features like narrowed lanes and medians, they may cause issues with emergency automobiles and automobiles that approach them too swiftly. A few individuals will also swerve to avoid them and are risky to other drivers and pedestrians.
While speed bumps, narrowed lanes and things like traffic circles can create new problems, dynamic speed signs that reflect drivers’ speeds back at them slow traffic without any of those drawbacks.
While most traffic calming features are certainly options when a street is being designed and built, speed display signs like those at TraffiCalmsystems.com remain a good option for any street where cars need to slow.
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