TOWARDS A NORTH AMERICAN GEOMETRIC DESIGN STANDARD FOR SPEED HUMPS

Speed humps are a very effective means of calming traffic. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the development of speed-hump geometric design standards for North America, where vehicle characteristics, environmental conditions, and motorist expectations may be different from those in other countries. It is one of the first attempts at a scientific examination of speed-hump design in North America and will hopefully serve to stimulate further research. Emphasis is placed on length as a critical design parameter. The goal is to suggest variations in Watts and Seminole Profile designs suitable for bus routes and nonbus routes having posted speeds of 30, 40, and 50 kph. Some of the optimal designs, such as the 5.2 m by 100 mm hump for automobiles at 25 kph had as much as a 3-m spread between the averaged lengths. This suggests that vehicle type is a significant parameter that needs to be tested further