CE5830: TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Term Paper Presentation on,

TRAFFIC CALMING

ABDHUL KHADHIR S H
CE16M057
M.Tech, Semester 01,
Transportation Engineering Division
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Madras, Chennai

Outline
What is Traffic Calming?
Why Traffic Calming?

Objectives of Traffic Calming

Different Traffic Calming

techniques/Measures
Effectiveness of Traffic Calming Measures
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Traffic Calming is the combination of

mainly physical measures that reduce the

negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter
driver behaviour and improve conditions for

non-motorized street user (ITE Definition)

TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Why?
India: 1214 road crashes, 382 die every day.
Roughly 50% VRUs
Over speeding major cause (41%, 2014)
Vehicle Speed
(Km/hr)

Risk to
Pedestrians
(%)

37

10

51

25

68

50

80

75

93

90

Reducing speed (and volume)

can make streets more safe to
Vulnerable road users.
Source: AAA Foundation for Road Safety

TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Objectives
Increased safety / decrease severity of
crashes
Equity among transportation modes
Make residential neighbourhoods more
liveable
Improve air quality and reduce noise levels
Make streets more aesthetically pleasing
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Techniques / Measures
Traffic Calming
Volume Control

Speed Control
Speed
Humps

Full Closures

Speed Tables

Half Closures
Diagonal
diverters

Raised
Intersections
Median Barriers

TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Traffic Circles

VOLUME CONTROL

Full Closure

Partial Closure

Diagonal Diverters

Median Barriers

SPEED CONTROL

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Speed Humps

Speed Tables

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Raised intersections

Traffic Circles (mini-roundabouts)

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Roundabouts (Rotaries)

Chicanes

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Central Island Narrowing

Chokers

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Combined Measures
Speed Hump with Choker
Raised Intersection with Central Island
Center Island with Chokers
Raised Crosswalk with Speed Table

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

EFFECTIVENESS OF
TRAFFIC CALMING
MEASURES

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EFFECTIVENESS IN
REDUCING ROAD CRASHES
Title: Getting an insight into the effects of traffic
calming measures on road safety
Authors: Mattias Juhsz and Csaba Koren
Journal: Transportation Research Records, 14

(2016)
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

EFFECTIVENESS IN
REDUCING ROAD CRASHES
Based on studies conducted in 9 Hungarian cities

Source: Juhsz and Koren (2016)

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Case of Budapest city

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING
SPEED
Title: Speed-calming measures and their effect
on driving speed Test of a new technique
measuring speeds based on GNSS data
Authors: Niels Agerholm, Daniel Knudsen, and
Kajan Variyeswaran
Journal: Transportation Research Part F

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING
SPEED
Speed humps and chicanes studied

Hypothesis
chicanes & humps mean speed reduction
similar
Chicanes more speed variation
Floating Car Data (FCD)
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

 FCD collected before and after

Stretch with 2 chicanes and 3 humps

Distance between adjacent SCs is 100-350 m
Street divided into 12.5 m segments

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Effectiveness of Humps

Mean Speed reduced 5 kmph (55-50kmph)

Reduction more near the Hump
Not prominent beyond 75m
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Effectiveness of Chicanes

Mean Speed reduced = 6 Kmph (49.3-43.2Kmph)

Reduction more within 75 m of the Chicane

Effect of Chicane not prominent beyond 125m

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

Before and After

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Findings
Mean speed reduced from 53.5 kmph to
49.4kmph and 85th percentile speed 59.9-53.6
kmph. BOTH REDUCES SPEED
Chicanes reduce Standard deviation by
0.9Kmph and Humps reduce SD by 1.8 kmph.
HUMPS BETTER REDUCE SPEED
VARIATION
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

CHALLENGES
Emergency Vehicles: Delay to emergency
vehicles like ambulance, fire engine, etc.

Use Speed Cushions

Cyclists can also
utilize the gap in
the SC measure
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

CHALLENGES (Contd.)
Public outcry

include Public in planning and design

Improper design: Drainage problems, Noise
and air pollution

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

CONCLUSION
Effective in reducing speed, volume & crash
occurrences
Higher efficiency than conventional measures
Less or no enforcement requirement
Equity to transportation modes
Quality of the environment and streets more
liveable
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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

REFERENCES

Agerholm, N., Knudsen,D., and Variyeswaran, K. (2016), Speed-calming

measures and their effect on driving speed Test of a new technique measuring
speeds based on GNSS data., Transportation Research Part F. (in press)
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847816301309>

Ahmed, A., and Bagchi, R. (2013), Traffic Calming in Indian Perspective,

International Journal of Chemical, Environmental & Biological Sciences., 1(3).

Juhsz , M., and Koren, C. (2016), Getting an Insight into the Effects of Traffic
Calming Measures on Road Safety, Transportation Research Records, 14(1),
3811-3820.

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TRAFFIC CALMING, Abdhul Khadhir S.H

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