How Municipalities Choose Traffic-Calming Measures

Traffic calming should start with the safety problem, not with a favourite device. The right measure depends on vehicle speeds, traffic volume, road function, pedestrian activity, collision history, street geometry, and operational needs.

What should be measured first?

Actual operating speeds, traffic counts, collision patterns, crossing demand, school or senior activity, sight distance, road width, and turning movements help define the problem that needs to be solved.

How do different tools solve different problems?

Speed humps and tables primarily address operating speed. Curb extensions shorten crossings and improve visibility. Refuge islands help people cross wide roads in stages. Signals organize crossings at higher-volume intersections. Roundabouts and raised intersections change the geometry and conflict pattern of the intersection itself.

What other constraints matter?

Emergency response, transit, snow removal, drainage, bicycles, trucks, accessibility, cost, and nearby residents all affect whether a treatment is practical.

Sam Sinjari's policy

Sam supports traffic calming and improved intersections with attention to school zones and high-crash corridors. The intended approach is evidence-based selection by location, not applying one measure everywhere.

Research basis: Zegeer et al. (2005); Ewing & Dumbaugh (2009); Huang & Cynecki (2000).

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