| Congestions Management Strategies |
| Taking the “Hump” out of Traffic
Calming |
| By Karen Aspelin, Albuquerque, NM, 1-505-881-5357,
aspelin@pbworld.com |
| Local residents called for speed humps to slow down
neighborhood traffic until an innovative demonstration of other traffic
calming devices showed them how effective and attractive these devices
could be. |
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Some time ago, planners designed the streets of the North Albuquerque
Acres neighborhood in the familiar grid pattern, expecting high-density
growth in the area. Instead, occasional houses now dot the landscape
on sizable lots. The roads are still long and straight, however, perfect
for speeding and short-cutting around the nearby clogged arterials
intended to serve traffic.
When the County of Bernalillo, New Mexico initiated a study to see
what it could do to help slow down traffic in the neighborhood, a
cry for “speed humps!” was heard from the majority of
residents. This was the only traffic calming device familiar to most
of them. Bernalillo County officials were reluctant to place three
or four speed humps on every one of the community’s roughly
100 0.8-km- (0.5-mile-) long roads. Instead, they wanted to show residents
other methods of traffic calming—devices that have proved to
be effective in other parts of the U.S. and that could also be attractive.
This effort was undertaken in conjunction with Avid Engineering, which
has recently joined the PB family of companies.
Creative
Demonstration of Traffic Calming Methods
Unfortunately, the budget for the study did not include funds to build
the traffic calming devices that County officials wanted to demonstrate
to the residents. They could have placed concrete wall barriers or
orange and white construction barriers on the roads to simulate traffic
circles, mid-block islands, or other traffic calming devices, unless
the devices looked attractive, they would not gain the residents’
acceptance.
The solution? Four local landscaping companies and a local cinder
block provider agreed to volunteer their time and donate materials
to create six traffic calming prototypes, including two intersection
traffic circles (Figure 1 on the following page), three mid-block
islands, and a cul-de-sac. In return, these local businesses would
be allowed to place a sign in their device (“Landscaping
courtesy of...”) to receive acknowledgment from drivers
traveling through the area.
In June 1997, a flier distributed door-to-door to the neighborhood
residents pointed out the locations of the six test devices. It stressed
that these were temporary devices being placed to familiarize residents
with their appearance and effectiveness, and that they would be removed
within a couple of months.
Figure 1: Demonstration Intersection Traffic Circle |
Building and Maintaining the Demonstration
Devices
Some of the roads on which the devices were to be constructed were
paved, but some were not. As the devices were being constructed in
the field, small variations were made so the designs would fit the
specific sites.
The frame (curb) of each device was a two-block high wall constructed
with cinderblocks that were delivered to each site by the volunteer
supplier. The blocks were a tan color, which fit the desert environment
better than standard gray-colored blocks. We laid out the positions
of the devices using tape measures and powder chalk, then the blocks
were put in place and reflectors provided by the County’s Public
Works Division were affixed to them.
Shortly after the blocks were in place, the volunteering landscaping
companies arrived at the sites and filled in the frames of the devices,
and Public Works staff came out and erected signs. During the test
project, the landscaping was watered about once a week by a County
water truck. The devices were also inspected two or three times a
week to make sure that everything remained in place.
Community
Acceptance
Soon after the devices were in place, the Albuquerque Journal wrote
an article that touched upon some of the reactions of the neighbors.
Most of the phone calls that we and the Public Works staff received
were from people concerned that someone was going to hit one of the
devices and that the County would be sued. None of the devices was
hit, however, and no lawsuits were filed. Many calls were also received
from people who were grateful that the County was trying to do something
to slow down traffic in the area.
One of the mid-block islands was inadvertently placed next to the
home of a resident who was not appreciative of the project. This island
was torn down and reconstructed three times before residents accepted
it, but then it stayed up for the full test period. There was also
the problem of the mysterious “disappearance” of some
of the landscaping, although most of it made it through the entire
demonstration period.
There were several requests to keep the temporary devices in place
indefinitely, but after six weeks the devices were dismantled and
the salvageable materials were reclaimed by the donating businesses.
Of course, at that time another wave of phone calls was received asking
what had happened to them!
Table 1: Summary of Speed Data
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The Demonstration is a Success
The project team felt that the test project changed people’s
perceptions of these traffic-calming devices. Before the project,
a survey of residents found that 32 percent would consider having
a traffic circle placed at the intersection at the end of their block,
and 27 percent would consider having a mid-block island on their road.
After the demonstration, public workshops were held to develop the
neighborhood transportation plan. Residents are now requesting mid-block
islands at more than one hundred locations throughout their neighborhood,
and intersection traffic circles are being requested at thirteen locations
in the transportation plan. Speed humps also remain popular with residents.
Speed data collected during the demonstration project confirmed the
effectiveness of the devices. In general, traffic speeds were lowered
by about 35 percent (Table 1).
Interest
from Transportation Industry
Presentations have been given on this project at the 1997 Institute
of Transportation Engineers’ mid-year meeting in Tampa, Florida
and its 1998 mid-year meeting in Monterey, California, both of which
focused on neighborhood traffic issues. Since those presentations,
we have had numerous requests for information on how our temporary
landscaped traffic control devices were built. In addition, two California
cities have used versions of our temporary traffic control devices
successfully for demonstrations in their own neighborhoods.
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