ABSTRACT
Visual changes can be made to roads to encourage more attentive driving, reduced speed, reduced crashes, and a greater tendency to yield to pedestrians. Visual traffic calming includes lane narrowing, road diets, use of trees next to streets, on-street parking, and buildings placed in urban fashion close to streets. Physical devices to calm traffic include speed humps, speed cushions, and speed tables, sized for the desired speed. Most physical devices are made of asphalt or concrete but rubber traffic calming products are emerging as an effective alternative with several advantages. Narrowing traffic lanes makes slower speeds seem more natural to drivers and are less intrusive than other treatments that limit speed or restrict route choice. Narrowing measures include narrowing lanes by extending sidewalks, adding bollards or planters, or adding a bike lane or on-street parking.
