Transportation Association of Canada

Many communities in Canada and the U.S. are feeling the effect of too many cars travelling at too high speeds. Such traffic has a profound negative effect on street life. To reduce this effect municipalities are turning to traffic calming. Traffic calming is a combination of policies and physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motorized vehicle use in a community. The key to successful traffic calming lies in changing the design and role of the street in such a fashion that drivers will want to slow down. Depending on the problem on the street, a wide range of traffic calming measures can be applied. The selection of these measures is best done by public consensus. Traffic calming is community-based planning and public participation is essential to its success. The process begins with the establishment of a community-based working group, followed by a thorough analysis of issues and concerns. This may be done by surveys or walk-abouts in the community. With participation of the working group, the problem is then defined, planning principles developed, and a preliminary “traffic calming designation ” is applied to the streets, akin to the traditional street classifications. This information is then presented at a public meetin