Traffic Calming

Roundabouts, curb bulb-outs, and speed humps are all are forms of traffic calming, which offer promise if properly applied to curb speeding and some forms of aggressive driving. Pedestrians especially benefit from traffic calming. Traffic calming employs physical changes to the roadway, signage or operation changes, and can be thought of as a "silent policeman" enforcing speed limits where no law enforcement are present.

Traffic Calming Website

The Federal Highway Administration has financially supported the Institute of Transportation Engineers to develop a Traffic Calming Website in the interest of information exchange.
Within the traffic calming website:

  • Traffic Calming Library
    The Traffic Calming Library contains a searchable database of reports, articles and other documents related to traffic calming.

  • Selected Reports
    This section of the Traffic Calming Web site allows you to view two full text reports and portions of a third report online.

    • Traffic Calming: State of the Practice
      At the local level, traffic calming responds to public concerns about speeding and cut-through traffic. Citizens look to their elected officials, and elected officials look to transportation professionals for technical solutions. The purpose of this report is to provide balanced information so readers can make their own informed decisions. Contact ITE.
  • Traffic Calming Seminar Instructional Material
    ITE and FHWA developed a 1-day seminar for transportation professionals on Traffic Calming.

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Program Contact

Guan Xu

202-366-5892

What’s New

Guidelines for the Use of Variable Speed Limit Systems in Wet Weather

Highlights

USLIMITS2 a web based tool for recommending speed limits

Speed Management Webinars

Methods and Practices for Setting Speed Limits: An Informational Report

Procedures for Setting Advisory Speeds on Curves

State Practices to Reduce Wet Weather Skidding Crashes

Speed Concepts: Informational Guide

Speed Management Information Resources

Analysis of Speeding-Related Crashes (PDF 594 KB)

Engineering Countermeasures for Reducing Speeds: A Desktop Reference of Potential Effectiveness

Traffic Safety Facts: Speeding - 2010