skidmark
11-16-2006, 06:33 PM
Traffic Calming
We recently moved to Comox from Ontario and we love everything about the area, the people, the weather....all except one thing: the speed at which some vehicles travel is exceptionally fast and dangerous. As soon as they can see the road is clear, feet hit gas pedals. Not just trucks and motorcycles, but many cars too. I spoke with Inspector Gray, and it didn't seem as if anything would be done (hope I'm wrong) although I suggested speed bumps, a stop sign, and those ridges.
It almost seems like an impossible task when one talks about slowing the flow of traffic through a neighbourhood. Very few drivers will slow down for anything these days, even when it is dangerous not to. How do we make the necessary changes so that the neighbourhood is safe driver can still share the streets?
Traffic calming is a process that uses many different roadway features to create an environment where driving behaviour is modified to reduce speed, prevent collisions and manage volume. This reader has listed just a few of the many types that are available depending on the nature of the street and traffic that it is designed to carry.
The process is not simply one of throwing down some speed bumps and hoping for the best. Some streets are appropriate, and others are designed to move large volumes of traffic directly. Consultations with city planners will not succeed when you wish to block a municipal collector, and may pay dividends for less travelled routes. In other words, compromise through a community effort is the key.
There are many sources of information on how traffic calming programs have been implemented in other neighbourhoods on the internet. I've listed a few on the Behind the Wheel web site to get you started. Visit www.drivesmartbc.ca to find them and get started in your neighbourhood.
Reference Links (http://drivesmartbc.ca/current.htm)
We recently moved to Comox from Ontario and we love everything about the area, the people, the weather....all except one thing: the speed at which some vehicles travel is exceptionally fast and dangerous. As soon as they can see the road is clear, feet hit gas pedals. Not just trucks and motorcycles, but many cars too. I spoke with Inspector Gray, and it didn't seem as if anything would be done (hope I'm wrong) although I suggested speed bumps, a stop sign, and those ridges.
It almost seems like an impossible task when one talks about slowing the flow of traffic through a neighbourhood. Very few drivers will slow down for anything these days, even when it is dangerous not to. How do we make the necessary changes so that the neighbourhood is safe driver can still share the streets?
Traffic calming is a process that uses many different roadway features to create an environment where driving behaviour is modified to reduce speed, prevent collisions and manage volume. This reader has listed just a few of the many types that are available depending on the nature of the street and traffic that it is designed to carry.
The process is not simply one of throwing down some speed bumps and hoping for the best. Some streets are appropriate, and others are designed to move large volumes of traffic directly. Consultations with city planners will not succeed when you wish to block a municipal collector, and may pay dividends for less travelled routes. In other words, compromise through a community effort is the key.
There are many sources of information on how traffic calming programs have been implemented in other neighbourhoods on the internet. I've listed a few on the Behind the Wheel web site to get you started. Visit www.drivesmartbc.ca to find them and get started in your neighbourhood.
Reference Links (http://drivesmartbc.ca/current.htm)